Retrograde
by erasableprism
Summary: Effy Bennett comes from a family of hunters. She's known the Winchesters for as long as she can remember, but her father always warned her to steer clear of their crusade to hunt the yellow-eyed demon. When Dean calls saying that his dad is missing, Effy finds herself thrown into the deadly and dysfunctional path of the Winchester brothers. [Eventual Sam / OC] [CURRENT SEASON: 1]
1. ladies and gentlemen this little girl

**one**

* * *

"I will never get used to driving on the bloody wrong side of the road." Garrett huffed as he flexed his grip on the steering wheel. Effy looked up from her laptop and smirked at him.

"More work in the land of the free, apparently."

She closed her laptop and rubbed her greasy face, it'd been a couple days since her last shower and the lack of hygiene was starting to get to her. "Looks like Columbus has some funky stuff going on, heavy-set guys are dropping down all over the place and get this – they're 200 pounds lighter than when they were last seen alive."

Garrett mocked a heaving sound and chuckled slightly. "Do we _really_ want to check that out, Eff? I mean, I don't think whatever could be behind that is exactly… _elegant._ "

Effy scoffed at her brother. "Since when were monster's ever elegant, Gaz?"

"I don't know, ghosts aren't too bad. Apart from the whole ectoplasm thing."

"Ghostbuster's makes it look _so_ much cooler than it actually is."

They both smiled before Garrett nodded to a sign. "Welcome to Indiana." He sighed as he looked over at his sister, running his free hand through his hair. He smirked when his grey eyes met her green, shrugging. "I suppose we can make a small detour. We've still got a week before we've got to be in Tennessee."

Effy smiled and leant in to the window, she felt tired and when they were on the road they had to take whatever sleep they could get.

She jumped slightly as her phone rang, sighing at how close she had been to sleep. The ringtone was from her 'work' phone, which never really rang past office hours. Garrett raised an eyebrow as she answered it.

"Good evening, this is Agent Adrienne Moore speaking, how can I help you?" She put on her best American accent. She didn't know who was calling and, after all, a _British_ FBI agent wasn't exactly common.

"Effy? It's Dean."

"Dean?" Effy furrowed her brows a moment as she exchanged a look with her brother. He'd only called a couple of days ago asking if she could get some information about vengeful spirits.

"Dean Winchester calling me twice in one week, what are the odds?"

She could hear a slight smile through the phone as he spoke. "Yeah don't get too used to it, kid. Listen, have you heard from my dad recently?"

Effy furrowed her brow at the question. "John? No, last time we spoke was when we hit that vampire nest with you guys in Mesa a couple months back. He hasn't called or anything since."

"Has he called Garrett or Sera? Or your parents? I can't get a hold of him, Eff, he's dropped off the grid." His tone was worried, it sounded so unusual coming from the usually carefree-Dean.

Garrett kept glancing over, trying to piece together the conversation. "Wouldn't be the first time he's gone under the radar for a little bit. What's wrong, Dean?"

"Please, Eff. I just got a real bad feeling."

She sighed as she mouthed the question to her brother, him shaking his head. "Garrett says he hasn't heard anything, I'll call dad now and get back to you in a bit."

"Okay, thanks kiddo."

Effy pursed her lips, trying to think of some way to comfort her friend. "I'm sure he's fine, Dean. It'd take a hell of a lot to bring John Winchester down." In all honestly Effy wasn't worried about the old Winchester man, he could more than handle himself. He was damn near the best hunter she knew.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right." She could hear the hesitation in his voice and quickly said her goodbye before dialling a new number in her phone.

Garrett looked over at her as he drove, eyes flicking to her phone. "So what, John's missing or something?" He asked as his sister brought the phone back to her ear.

"Yeah. Dean's all worked up. He says he has a bad feeling this time."

He rolled his eyes slightly. "How many times has John 'disappeared' before? There's a method to the man's madness, I'm sure."

Effy sighed as the dialling tone rang in her ear. "It won't hurt to make a couple calls, Garrett."

The dialling tone stopped and through the phone Effy heard familiar laughter, a deep and throaty laugh. "Dad?" She asked, smiling. She missed her parents and sister, though it wouldn't be long now.

"Eff, sweetheart, you best not be calling to say you and Garrett aren't going to make Tennessee this year." She could hear the smile in her father's voice as he spoke.

"No, Dad. We'll make it." She sighed as she rested her arm along the window, absently looking out the window as she tapped the leather of the car. "Dean called, he want's to know if you've heard from John recently."

Effy didn't have to see her father to know he'd be pulling the same face she and her brother had, a furrowed brow and crinkled nose. "John? No, he called about a month after we parted ways in Mesa, other than that nothing."

"Did he say anything about what he was doing? Where he was headed next?" She asked, hopeful that she may be able to gleam some sort of information for Dean.

Her father cleared his throat and she could hear her mother's voice in the background, probably talking to her older sister. "Jericho, California, he said. Thought he might be on that thing that got his wife and your Gran." Effy could hear her father sigh. "He promised he'd call if he found anything. He never called, I assumed nothing turned up. Bastard knows I want that cretin dead as much as anyone else."

Effy nodded, her brother looking at her once again trying to decipher her conversation. "I know, dad. John's just a fair bit more bitter than the rest of us." Garrett scoffed. "That's an understatement." He muttered under his breath.

"That's all I know." Her father said before his voice quieted, probably having taken the phone from his ear. "Hun, have you heard from John Winchester since Mesa?" Effy fiddled with the ashtray along the car door, flipping it as she listened to the phone.

"Sorry, monkey. Your mother and sister haven't heard anything either." Effy sighed as she shut the ashtray. "S'alright, dad. I'll let him know. Thanks."

"Anything for you kids." He chuckled. "You two stay safe. Love you." Effy smiled as she looked over to her brother. "Love you too, Dad. See you next week."

Garrett looked over at his sister expectantly. "So?" Effy dialled Dean's number back in to her phone, sighing. "Apparently he was headed to Jericho, something about the thing that got gran, but that was at least a month and a half ago."

"Are you kidding me?! And he didn't call in the cavalry?" Garrett's face scrunched up slightly. The Bennett's had a fiery temper, that was for sure, though Garrett and Sera seemed to be the most hotheaded of the lot. Effy was more calculated, like her father, though she seemed to be less quick to anger than he.

"Calm down, Garrett. You and Dad have forgotten to even call us when you've been on it's trail." She rubbed her eyes as she pressed call on her phone, bringing it back to her ear as the dialling tone rang.

"Hello?"

Effy flipped the ashtray open again. "Hey, Dean. Dad says he heard from John about a month after Mesa, said he was heading to Jericho. Something about the thing that got your mum and Gran, he didn't give any details. That's all we've got."

"It's something. Thanks, kid." He almost sounded appreciative.

Effy paused and flipped the ashtray back down, staring at the road ahead. "Be careful, Dean. If it is him… well, John was a fool to rush off alone."

She thought she heard a chuckle before he spoke. "It's okay, I won't be alone."

Effy furrowed her brow in confusion. "What, you got another hunter lined up? Forgive me being blunt Dean but your Dad has pissed off just about every bloody hunter in North America."

Dean paused for a moment. "No. No, actually, I'm getting Sammy."

"Dean…" Her tone was scolding. He hadn't _seen_ let alone talked to Sam for two years. Effy didn't think the younger Winchester would be all too pleased for Dean to rock up at his doorstep unannounced.

"It'll be fine." Dean's tone was stern, he wouldn't be talked down.

Effy sighed. "Just… keep checking in. If you don't, you'll have the entire Bennett clan on your arse."

"Will do."

The corner of her mouth twitched as she looked out the window of the car. "Bye Dean."

"Catcha, Eff."

* * *

 **A/N:** This is a veeeeryy short introduction, but all I wanted to do was introduce the new characters and cement their position in the whole Supernatural universe.

So a bit more about Effy!

She's the youngest of her siblings(20), Garrett (24) and Sera (26). Her family (on both sides) descend from a long line of hunters. They're already well acquainted with the Winchester's, with John being one of Effy's father's many American contacts for twenty one years.

Effy has long waist-length brown hair, green eyes and olive skin. She looks most like her paternal grandmother(Gran), though inherited her name from her maternal grandmother(Nan).

This story begins just before season 1 but I'll be moving pretty quickly (there is 10 seasons after all!)

I hope you enjoy this story and my OC's!


	2. light cursed falling in a singular block

**two**

* * *

"Effy, phone!"

Effy sat up, taking an earphone out of her ear and looking over to the lake house, seeing her mother standing on the deck holding out her mobile phone. She sighed and grabbed her shirt, smiling as she looked out to the lake to see her brother and father drinking beer and fishing.

She made her way up the steep stairs back to the house, pulling her shirt over her head as she walked. "Who is it?" She called out to her mother.

"Dean. Take your sweet time love, not like I have dinner on the stove or anything." Her mother's Australian accent was drenched in sarcasm, huffing as her daughter approached and took the phone from her.

"I didn't expect Dean Winchester to let someone keep tabs on him." Effy smirked at her mother who had raised her eyebrows at her before she trotted back in to the house.

Effy could hear Dean smile as he spoke; he usually had quite the playful tone in his voice. "What can I say, I'm a man of my word. We're in Jericho."

She raised her eyebrow. There was no way that Sam actually… "We? You mean…"

"Yeah, Sam's here."

Effy's mouth gaped open; the last thing she had expected was that Sam would actually _go_ with his brother. He'd thrown the proverbial towel in years ago to lead a civilian life. "Wow. Uhh, okay."

"Listen, Eff, we went to the motel room dad had here, he left his journal." He paused and Effy heard pages flicking. "He left coordinates and they lead to Lost Creek, Colorado. I'll be heading there next."

"Alone?" He had just picked up Sam and the trail of their father; surely Sam wouldn't leave his brother now?

"Yeah. Sammy threw in the rock-salt shotgun a few years ago, he wants to get back to school."

Effy's forearms started tingling as she imagined Dean following his father on his fool's errand, _alone._ "Got to admit, I didn't think he'd go with you, even if it was for a couple of days."

"I have my way with words."

"Oh yeah Dean, you're just a modern day Shakespeare." They both laughed. Dean had a certain charm about him, sure, but he certainly wasn't the most eloquent person around. Unless various curses were considered eloquent.

She paused and nodded as she watched her brother and father, more drinking than fishing at this point. She hadn't expected Dean to call her back, honestly. "Thanks for calling, Dean."

He chuckled a little. "Might as well leave an easier trail to follow than Dad did, huh."

Effy furrowed her brows. _If he goes missing too so help me God…_ "If you need anything-"

"Yeah, Eff. I'll call." He interrupted her before pausing. "Give my best to the family."

Effy looked back to the house to see Sera at the door, back from her jog, and her mother, fussing about with some spices. "I will. Tell Sam I said…" She trailed off, lost in thought. She wasn't quite sure what to say after all of his time. They hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms.

Dean interrupted her thoughts. "Said what?"

She tried to think of something clever, to think of anything at all. But she wasn't quite sure there was anything other than an apology. And she'd rather say that to his face than through his brother. "Never mind."

"Okay. See ya, kid."

As she hung up her wrists started vibrating, her eyes widening as the shaking caused her to almost drop the phone. She pushed her forearms down hard against the fence, trying to stop it.

The phone fell from her hand, falling to it's demise down the stairs to the pier. Effy reached out to catch it, though it stopped mid-air. She gasped as it flew back in to her hand, curling her fingers around it.

She rose and looked around, wondering if any of her family had seen. But she was alone, too far from them to take any notice.

"Fuck. I'm going mental."

* * *

"Who was that?" Sam walked up to his brother. They'd pulled over to get gas on the way back to Stanford, Sam had made it quite clear that he wouldn't be sucked back in to the family business.

Dean looked confused for a moment and had that look on his face as if he was about to think of something quickly and on his feet. "That? That was uh…" His face grew long and he rubbed his chin before looking at his brother, that look on his face gone. "Effy."

Sam's mouth dropped open slightly as he heard the name. "Effy Bennett?" He hadn't seen the girl for years. In all honesty he was somewhat surprised that _she_ was still hunting. "Wow. It's uh… it's been awhile."

"Yeah." Dean muttered as he stuck his hands in to the pockets of his jeans.

Sam looked his brother up and down and raised an eyebrow at him. "You still uh… hunt with them?"

Dean nodded and leant against the Impala, looking around before meeting Sam's eyes. "On occasion. Worked a case in Mesa a couple months back, dad was there too."

Sam nodded and quirked an eyebrow once more. "I thought Effy hated you after you and Sera-"

Dean interrupted him, the look on his face almost embarrassed. "Water under the bridge." He dismissed his brother as he nodded to the car, both of them getting in.

Dean started the engine, sighing as he put his spare change in the side of the door. "How is she, anyway?" Sam asked, looked at his lap. "How are uh, all of them?"

Dean looked at his brother, not quite sure what he wanted to hear. He nodded as he put the car in to gear, pulling out from the gas station. "They're doin' good."

"Good… good."

* * *

" _Hey, Eff. There's been a change of plan. Some stuff went down back in Stanford, Sam's back on the road with me again. We're still heading to Colorado, found out some folks are missing around the coordinates Dad left. I'll call you when we move off."_

Effy played the message for her father as they sat on the balcony of their rental house for the weekend, tea in both their hands. Effy nodded to her phone as her father closed it and passed it back to her. "At least the boy is letting us know. Last thing we need is for him to go off the grid as well."

She slid the phone back in to the pocket of her pyjamas before pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Do you think he really could be on the demon's trail?"

Paul Bennett sighed and put his mug of tea down on the table, running a hand through his remaining hair before crossing his arms. "I think John's obsessed with finding the thing that killed his wife. It's been his reason for getting out of bed every morning for the last twenty one years."

He placed a hand on his daughter's knee. "Don't get me wrong, love. That thing got your grandmother; I want him as dead as anyone. But I've had your mother… you kids." He lost himself for a moment before squeezing his daughter's knee once more, offering a small smile. "Your Gran was a hunter. She knew she'd go out fighting. "

"I think John is making mountains out of molehills. I think he's seeing anything and everything as a sign of that demon." He sighed and took his hand from Effy's knee and picked up his tea, taking a sip. "When he calls on me for help, I'll be there fast as anything. But for now… I think we should take care of other cases. I don't want to be running around cleaning up John's mess."

He pushed a newspaper closer to his daughter, nodding for her to take it. "Bottom of page six."

Effy placed her tea down and sat up properly in the chair as she picked up the newspaper, flipping to page six.

 _Fatal wounds 'signature' of serial killer_

"Heart's missing… werewolves?" Effy asked as she looked up to her father.

He nodded before he sipped on his tea. "Lunar cycle matches up. Sera's already packing her things, no doubt Garrett will be as soon as he wakes up."

Effy nodded, her father preferred it when his kids were working cases together. The first time Effy had run off to work her own case she learnt the hard way that having backup isn't such a bad thing, that it was _okay_ and didn't mean you were any less skilled if you needed the help. Help was the difference between life and death in their work.

"What about you and mum?"

Paul smiled as he looked to the living room, seeing his wife perched on the couch with her own cup of tea. She took it black, something that was apparently common in Australia. The thought of milk in her tea almost made her gag.

"We have our own leads, don't you worry. We'll be heading home again soon." He took his daughters hand in to his own and kissed it. "I'm so proud of you kids."

Effy smiled and took back her hand, standing up with her mug. "Oh alright, dad. No need for a lifetime movie moment."

She turned to open the fly screen door before her father called her once more.

"Effy?"

Turning her head, her eyes met his. "Yeah, dad?"

"Don't get caught up in the Winchester's mess."

Effy rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Never in a million years."

* * *

"Shit." Sera hissed as she walked through the door of the motel room. "No luck?" Effy looked up from her laptop as Garrett followed their older sister in, loosening the tie from around his neck. "No patterns with the vic's, seems like our canine friend attacks at random at night. Can't exactly stake out the entire town, can we?"

Effy had been researching while her older siblings had been out playing cops and investigating the most recent crime scene and visiting the morgue. Sera and Garrett were more shoot first ask questions later types, they did research when they _had_ to do research. Effy would sometimes research just for fun.

"Bodies look like werewolf attacks, so stock up on your silver, kids." Sera sighed as she took her jacket off. "You didn't tell me Garrett's accent was still shit, Tibbers." She smirked as Garrett rolled his eyes and took a seat across the table from Effy. "I did go home for a couple of weeks after Mesa, you know." He hissed.

Effy closed her laptop. She'd been looking in to pagan sacrifices but now… well, they knew how to deal with werewolves. She tapped her fingers on the table as Sera took three beers from the fridge.

"I have an idea. And I'm not sure you two are going to like it." Sera sighed as she looked between her younger siblings. "Use me as bait."

Garrett's eyes widened as Sera popped the lid of the beer, passing it to her younger brother. "What?" Sera asked as her sibling's eyes widened at her suggestion. "We've been here two days, you guys literally _just_ got back from investigating. A case has never taken two days before. We should do more research."

"And what, waste more time? Lose more lives?" Sera raised her eyebrow at her younger sister. "Attacks seem random, preying on people who are out past their bed times. So why don't I go for a late night jog? I sure need the exercise." She chuckled and slapped her belly before looking down to see her younger sibling's less than amused faces.

"What? You guys tail me, or we set up an ambush. I can hold my own, you know."

"That werewolf could slash your throat in half a second." Effy growled as she took the unopened beer off of her sister.

Sera smirked as she brought her own to her lips. "Not the first that'll try."

Effy popped the cap of her beer and glared at her sister. "Not funny, Sera."

"I'm not trying to be funny. It can work."

Garrett sighed as he watched his sisters bicker. "We've been here two days. We hardly know what we're up against." The oldest Bennett child stared him down. "Werewolf. Not too hard to tell. Hearts ripped out, not a whole lot else. If we wait another night there'll be more dead people, and that's on us."

Effy took a sip of her beer as she looked at her sister, eyes scanning her head to toe. "Fine. Let's do it your way."

Sera smiled as she saw her sister's approval. "Okay."

"On one condition." She looked up at Sera from under her thick eyelashes.

Sera shrugged. "Name it."

" _I'll_ be the bait."

Sera shook her head, a small laugh at the preposterousness of the idea escaping her. "No. No way, no how."

Effy smirked up at her older sister. "What? Not confident your plan will work?" She stood up, beer still in hand. "I'm the fastest of the three of us."

Garrett shuffled awkwardly in his seat. "… She is."

Sera but her beer down, walking over to the weapons duffle that sat on the couch. She pulled their three silver knives out, staring over at her siblings.

"Fine."

* * *

The night air was colder than you'd expect in summer, a chill had crept up Effy's arm as she'd started to run. She'd been tempted to untie her windcheater from her waist but knew that she'd warm up too quickly.

Weaving along streets, she found herself running through a rather poorly lit park, plenty of trees and bush to ambush an unfortunate jogger. Effy kept reminding herself of the silver knife she kept on her person.

She slowed as she heard the rustle of leaves. Not the kind of rustle that came with a breeze, no. The kind of rustle of someone brushing past them. As she came to a stop she turned, eyes wide as she looked around.

"Hello?" She called out, turning in a circle. "Is anyone there?"

Silence.

Effy reached her hand in to her waistband, gripping the hilt of the small silver knife uncomfortably tucked there.

Suddenly, she was on her stomach, a sharp pain in her side as she tried to push herself off the ground. She got to her feet, brushing her fingers over the cut the knife had made as she pulled the it out, eyes darting around to find her assailant.

 _Where the fuck are you, Garrett?! Sera?_ She thought to herself as she hesitantly took a step forward. The leaves from the brush behind her rustled and she jumped, quickly turning only to find nothing there.

"Effy!"

She spun on her heels, slashing with the knife and cutting the wolf as it tried to tear at her throat, the silver sizzling it's skin. She lurched forward and plunged the knife deep in to the wolf's chest.

"It's a pack!" She heard Sera scream as she sprinted in to the opening, a cut from her head bleeding profusely and blood staining her jeans. Garrett followed close by, a gun with a round of silver bullets in his hand.

Two more wolves charged towards them, Garrett taking aim and shooting only for the wolf to dive out of the way. The other slashed at Effy, knocking her over and the knife out of her hand.

"Sera!" Garrett shouted, warning his sister. Sera turned, thrusting her knife up and through the wolf's jaw before swiftly moving out of the way, Garrett shooting it through the heart.

Effy scrambled, feeling around for her knife as the wolf advanced on her, teeth bared and claws ready to strike. Effy gripped the hilt of her knife and threw it at the wolf, embedding it in it's stomach. A smug smile spread across it's face as he went to strike her, only for another knife to pierce it's heart from behind, Sera's head visible over it's shoulder.

As it slumped to the ground they all breathed hard, Garrett wiping blood from his face and Sera scowling at her little sister.

"Everybody got their limbs?" Garrett called out.

Sera glared at her sister before offering her a hand, pulling her up from the ground. "All limbs in tact. Mission success?" Effy smirked as she gripped at her lower abdomen.

* * *

Sera paced across the motel kitchen, throwing her things together and zipping up her duffle. "That was reckless. We should've done more digging." She folded her arms and turned to face Effy. "You shouldn't have stopped, not until we gave the signal."

Effy raised her eyebrows, confused as she sat at the table, cleaning the knives. The cut stung as it rubbed against her clothes. It'd been deeper than she thought; Garrett had stuck a few stitches in to keep it from 'getting ugly'. She rolled her eyes as she folded the cloth she'd used, standing up to pack them back in to the weapons bag.

"You were a few yards away, it was under control."

Sera glared at her sister, her mouth agape. "You could've got us killed!"

Effy folded her arms. "You could've got me killed with your shitty plan in the first place!" She hissed. "I was the one who said we needed to do more research!"

Sera glared at her sister before grabbing her duffle and the car's keys. "We leave in ten. Pack your shit." She turned towards the door, exaggeratingly opening it and slamming it as she left.

Garrett sighed as he zipped his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. He offered a small smile to his younger sister and put his hands on her shoulders. "She'll cool off, Eff. She was just scared for you." He chuckled as he walked over to the door. "She's supposed to be the reckless one, after all."

The corner of Effy's mouth quirked as her brother left the motel room, she walked back over to the last few bags and threw their stuff in, not all too worried about organisation.

As she went to pull one of the bags over her shoulder her phone rang.

 _Dnn, dnn dnn, dnn dnn dnn dnn, dnn dnn dnn, dnn dnn_

Effy hummed along to the ringtone 'Smoke On the Water', her first concert had been Deep Purple back when she was fourteen. She glanced at the caller ID before flipping the phone open.

"Dean. Perfect timing." She snidely remarked, bringing a hand to her hip.

"Something wrong?"

Effy sighed before sitting down on the bed she'd shared with Sera, sighing. "No, everything's good. What's up with you?"

"Just took down a wendigo in Blackwater Ridge, no sign of Dad."

"A wendigo? In Colorado? I thought they hung out closer to Canada?"

"Yeah, well. We're heading to Wisconsin now; there might be a case for us up there. Just thought I'd check back in and all. How's things on your end?"

"Uh, just took down a pack of werewolves in North Carolina. We're gonna head to Maryland, Sera thinks there might be a case there."

"Take care of yourself, kiddo."

"You too, Dean. And-"

"Yeah. I'll call if I need anything."

* * *

 **A/N:** Just a heads up that the story is gonna be pretty choppy like this for a while for ~narrative~ reasons, but I hope you guys enjoy nonetheless! Feel free to drop a review to let me know what you think :)


	3. lets live suddenly without thinking

**three**

* * *

"Bloody Mary, Hook Man and a Native American curse? Man, you guys have had a mental few months." Effy smiled as she stood outside the motel room she'd been sharing with her brother. Rain was pouring down, the smell and sound making her miss home a little.

Sera had insisted she worked the case in Maryland by herself, after that Effy had only heard from her oldest sibling through word of mouth when she spoke to her parents or on the odd occasion after Sera would call Garrett. She held grudges like their father. Garrett had tried to explain to Effy that their sister was just too stubborn for her own good.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. Speaking of mental, we're checking out an abandoned asylum in Rockford, Illinois."

Effy slapped her thigh. "Damn! Are you serious? You guys are getting all the good ones."

"You're welcome to join us, Eff."

Effy sighed as her eyes darted around. She and Garrett were only in Wisconsin, it wouldn't be too long of a drive. But her father's words rang through her head. _Don't get caught up in the Winchester's mess._ "I'd love to but…"

"But?"

She stumbled as she tried to think of an excuse. "I uh… have some other stuff to handle."

"Yeah. Yeah of course, you're busy." Dean knew Sam and Effy hadn't parted the best of friends. She always started speaking all weird whenever Sam had even been mentioned.

Garrett flung open the motel door and growled at his sister. "Eff, if you don't come inside soon so help me God I will eat the rest of your dinner."

Effy shooed her brother and pointed to her phone, Garrett sighing before closing the door.

"Who's that?" Dean asked. "Is that Sera? Tell her she needs a minor surgical operation to remove that stick from her ass."

Effy chuckled at that. "Sera's abroad, last I heard she was in Dubrovnik. But I'll definitely remember to tell her that next time I see her."

Things were silent for a moment. Effy hesitated to ask about Sam; she'd found out through her weekly chats with Dean that the 'stuff' that went down in Stanford ended in Sam's girlfriend's death.

"How's Sam?"

"He's doing better. Much better." Dean sighed. "Look, Eff, I gotta go."

Effy nodded, looking back inside the motel room to see her brother on her laptop, his head in his hands. "Alright. Don't enjoy that mental asylum too much."

"I'll be thinking of you the whole time, don't you worry."

"Yeah, right." She scoffed.

"Stay safe, kid."

"You too, Dean."

She hung up the phone before tucking it in to the pocket of her jeans, inhaling deeply as she looked to her feet. As she exhaled she stuck her hand out in the rain, the cool drops splashing on to her palm.

Concentrating, she stared at her hand as slowly, her forearm began to tingle. The longer she stared, the more her arm would vibrate. The rain stopped falling just before her hand, sliding off inches above as if there were an umbrella sitting in the palm of her hand. Effy gasped and snatched her hand back, the rain falling once more as she ran her other thumb against her palm.

She spun on her heels, pushing open the motel room door and walking over to the couch, slouching down as he brother's eyes followed her.

"Dean's been calling a lot lately." He remarked as he closed her laptop. "Don't know how Sera would feel about that."

Effy rolled her eyes and rubbed her hand against her jeans, trying to try it. "Shut up, Garrett. It's not like that."

Garrett smirked as he stood, stretching slightly before grabbing a diet coke from the fridge. "Course not." He sat down next to her, putting his feet up on the small coffee table. "How's he doing?"

She yawned and stretched back, putting her two feet up on the coffee table as well. "He's fine. Still no closer to finding John, apparently. But he's good."

Garrett gave her a look as she stared at the television. It was muted, playing some old episode of some old American sitcom. "And Sam?"

Effy shifted in her seat uncomfortably and kept her eyes on the television screen. Garrett chuckled slightly and smiled at himself. "You haven't spoken to Sam."

"Dean says he's doing well." She didn't move, staying still as a statue and eyes unmoving.

Effy and Sam had been the best of friends growing up. Effy was the only person close to Sam's age that he knew, and whenever their families hunted together it was always them locked away in a motel room under the supervision of their older siblings or by themselves. When Sam had decided to leave the life, _without_ telling Effy until he was leaving, she'd been distraught. They'd both always wanted to lead 'normal' lives; Sam wanted to study Law, maybe go into environmental or something. Effy had wanted to study medicine, maybe go into laboratory research.

Their falling out had been nuclear. They both said things they'd come to regret, yet as time went on it became 'too late' to apologise.

Garrett sighed as he slung an arm over the back of the couch. "It's been two years, Tibs."

"It's fine." She swallowed before standing, walking over to her bed. "Dean's just keeping in touch. Staying _on_ the radar."

Garrett un-bottled his diet coke and took a swig, nodding as he heard his sister unbutton her jeans and take off her jacket. "I know, I know."

He jumped in surprise as her jacket landed on his head and turned to find her smirking as she climbed in to her bed.

"Jackass."

* * *

Garrett threw the empty bottle of gasoline to the ground, rubbing his nose with his dirt-sodden wrist as he turned around to look at his sister. He nodded at her, picking up the iron crowbar by his bag and standing ready as Effy reached for her matches.

A blood curdling shriek sounding behind them, a monstrous and decaying translucent corpse wearing a ragged white dress charged at Effy, it's hands outstretched and aiming right for her throat. Effy's face twisted in fear as she braced for impact before Garrett brought the crowbar down hard not inches from her, the woman disappearing in a mist.

"Now, Effy!" Garrett yelled, crouching as if ready to swing again as he stood around his sister, eyes flickering all over the place.

Effy struggled to light the match, striking once, twice. The third time she broke the match, swearing as she went to get another.

The shriek sounded again, the ghost flickering between what she had looked like alive and what she had become. She was beautiful, though Effy supposed that was the point. Banshee's were the sirens of the spirit world.

Effy struck the new match, eyes wide as the ghost charged at her once more, dropping the match on to the unearthed bones they stood over. As the ghost was inches from impact, she disappeared in flames and a horrifying scream, Effy's eyes shut hard.

"Geez, Eff." Garrett panted and tossed the crowbar back to the duffle that held their gasoline and salt. "Take your time why don't you."

She rolled her eyes and put her matches back in her pocket. Her brother usually used zippo lighters, but Effy thought it such a waste. She'd rather keep her zippo, matches were cheaper as well.

"Thought we could enjoy the encore." She sighed and took off her jacket, tossing it on top of the bag. She was slick with sweat, her loose tank drenched along her chest and armpits. As she picked up one of the shovels she nodded to her brother. "It's done. Faster we fill this back up, faster we're back at the motel getting a good night's sleep."

Garrett watched her as she went to shovel the dirt back into the grave they'd just dug up, taking the shovel in his hand as his eyes followed her. "Effy, what's been up with you lately? You're acting more and more like Sera everyday. Hell, back in Charlotte you were acting more like Sera than Sera herself."

Her arms started to tingle as she worked; she snatched her wrist as she felt it start to vibrate ever so slightly. As it faded, she got back to work shovelling as she felt her brother's eyes studying her, huffing as she shovelled the dirt. "Nothing, Gaz." She straightened up and glared at her brother, raising an eyebrow at him. "You gonna use that thing or not?"

* * *

Dean almost staggered into the motel room, sighing and tucking the keys to the Impala in his pocket as Sam closed the door behind them. He'd had a close call at the asylum, barely managing to burn the ghost's body before it'd killed him. He got a hell of a beating, but they'd made it out and saved a couple brave teenagers who'd decided to investigate the abandoned asylum themselves.

Sam had been… under the _influence_ of the ghost. He'd put a gun on Dean and fired it, though it had no rounds. He'd almost killed his brother. They'd barely talked the drive back to the motel, not even really discussed it aside from a couple snide remarks from Dean.

Dean's phone vibrated in his jean pocket, he reached in and pulled it out to check the message.

 _You would not believe the night we had. Banshee ! Hope the asylum was shit, Call u on Saturday x_

He smiled fondly at his phone as he sat down on his bed and started texting back.

"Who's that?" Sam asked as he put his bag beside his bed, running a hand through his hair as he walked over to the fridge, pulling out a beer for him and his brother.

Dean almost didn't hear his brother before he raised his head, smile still on his face. "What?"

Sam popped the caps on both bottles and walked over to him and nodded to his phone. "Who's messaging you this time of night?" He passed him the beer, trying to get a glimpse of the phone's screen.

Dean's smile faded as he put the phone down on the table beside the bed, taking the beer from his brother. "Uh, it's just Effy." The corner of his mouth smirked as he tapped the neck of his beer to his brother's.

Sam nodded and his eyes fell to the floor. Dean and Effy had been in almost constant contact the last couple of months, and yet he still hadn't spoken to or seen her. Two years. It had gone so fast. He sighed as he sat on his bed, facing Dean. Sam wondered if his brother and his… well, he supposed she was his _former_ best friend, had been this close the whole time he'd been gone. He wondered if there was perhaps something… more. The way Dean smiled when he was on the phone to her, or even when he got a message from her.

"How is she?" Sam asked as he felt the silence had dragged on too long, nodding to Dean as he took a sip of his beer.

Dean awkwardly averted his gaze before nodding, faking a small smile to his brother. "She's good. Just took out a banshee in Wisconsin with Garrett."

Sam raised his eyebrows. _Banshee. Impressive._ He hadn't even known banshee's existed. He thought all ghosts were just ghosts… though he quickly learned the differences between them. Dean had joked that he was rusty after his college years.

"God, wonder if Garrett ever started growing facial hair." Sam smiled fondly as he remembered Garrett at eighteen, baby-faced as Sam's five o'clock shadow had started to fill in. _'Look, Garrett. Sammy's already got more of a beard than you and he's sixteen!'_ Dean had slapped the Bennett lad on the back, him and Sera laughing together.

Dean took a sip of his beer and smiled. "Yeah, he did. He's been rocking the 'I haven't shaved for a week' look for the last year."

Sam smiled at that, the brothers chuckling slightly at the memory.

Dean's smile soon disappeared, his face looking exhausted as he sighed. "Sammy, I don't know how you and Eff left things, but I know for a fact it was like a freakin' A-bomb." He scratched his head. "You two were best friends. That doesn't just disappear overnight."

"Over two years?" Sam challenged, his eyes met his brother's, sounding far more sinister than he'd intended.

Dean sighed. "You know what I mean." He took a swig of his beer and waited a few moments, as if pondering whether or not to say something. After a small silence, he leant over his knees and looked up at his brother. "She asks about you."

Sam was taken aback. He hadn't really thought she would bother asking about him. He thought she hated him. The way she'd looked at him before he left. The silence. Shit, he'd wanted her to kick him and scream, but the silence. That hurt more than anything.

"Really?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah."

"How bout we call it a night? I'm beat from uh… having the crap beaten out of me." Dean smirked at his brother as he finished his beer in two last gulps, walking over to the bin in the kitchen.

Sam stared ahead as his brother spoke.

"Yeah. Alright."


	4. into the strenuous briefness

**A/N:** So this is a pretty long chapter! I thought I'd treat you guys to a longer one since I'll be busy over the next few days and won't be updating until next week. I hope you guys enjoy and please drop a review to let me know what you think ! xx

* * *

 **four**

* * *

Effy was perched over her motel room's coffee table, rustling through notes and journal entries she'd taken from many a family journal. She was in between hunts, searching for headlines that could be remotely… out of the ordinary. Or, ordinary, in her case.

She'd dropped Garrett at the airport a couple of days before; he was flying back home to handle the family estate and work a couple of cases. Effy was due back soon; she'd yet to book a flight, though.

She sighed and stood up from the couch, stretching as she made her way over to the bed and flopped down on it, staring up at the ceiling as her back slowly straightened. It was aching, she'd been on her feet for days. Maybe a couple of days off wouldn't be such a bad thing…

 _Dnn dnn dnn, dnn dnn, dnn dnn, dnn dnn dnnn dnn dnn_

Effy leant up to grab her phone from beside her bed and smiled as she saw Dean's name flashing on her phone, picking it up and flipping it open rather dramatically. "Allo allo allo."

"Hey Eff, need your help with some research."

She scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "Dean Winchester, researching?"

Dean chuckled slightly at her remark. "Well why do you think I'm calling you, kiddo?"

Effy moved from her bed to her books spread out over the small coffee table in her motel room, rolling her eyes as she sat down. "Stop with the kiddo horseshit and I might actually help you."

"Alright, alright. I'm emailing you a photo of this symbol, you got Internet?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay, just sent it."

Effy watched her emails and refreshed a few times before she saw the new message. "Got it."

She tilted her head and furrowed her brows in confusion. That symbol was familiar.. Zoroastrian, if she wasn't wrong. But the symbol represented eluded her. "I've seen that before…" She reached for an older leather-bound book, pages crinkled and dark from its age.

"Zoroastrian…" She nodded as she confirmed her initial thought. Her eyes skimmed through the passages. "This is some dark, ancient magic shit right here, Dean. Like we're talking before 2000 B.C. kind of shit." Effy's eyes widened as she turned the page. "Here! Daeva…"

"Daeva? What's a daeva?"

She frowned as she read the words. "Apparently a very, very old kind of shadow creature. Demon is my best bet." She tensed and felt her stomach growing heavy. "Invisible to us, they lurk in the shadows. They don't possess people, they just… are." She sighed as she kept reading. "They're savage… animalistic. So it makes sense that they have to be summoned."

"Another day, another job." Dean chuckled, though Effy could hear the worry in his voice.

Effy put down the book and stacked the papers together and pursed her lips. They were in over their heads. _Again_. Whatever was summoning those things is some old world, mad powerful kind of thing. They could get themselves killed…

"Where are you?" She asked as she threw papers together, packing them as quickly as she could.

"Chicago, why?"

She sighed and put the papers in their bag, placing the book at the front. "Dean, whoever's summoning this thing knows their shit. Knowledge of such ancient magic like that?" At least they were close. She could be there before sunrise. "I'm in Madison, I'll be there in three hours."

"Effy, really it's okay."

She threw the book bag next to her weapons duffle and frantically threw her dirty clothes in her backpack. "Shut up, text me where you're staying."

He hesitated, not responding for a while. Eventually, he sighed. "Yeah, okay."

* * *

Chicago was colder than Effy had expected; she also wasn't very used to driving in American cities. Having to focus on one-way streets _and_ staying on the right side of the road had been harder than she'd intended. She rolled her eyes at Garrett's timing.

By the time she'd made it to the address Dean had messaged her it was almost sunrise. She took her bags out of her boot and slung them across her torso and shoulders, grimacing slightly at the prospect of having to climb stairs to get to the room. Sighing, she took the first step. _This is my exercise for the day_ she thought sarcastically.

As she reached the door she hesitated before knocking. Sam would be in there. She hadn't spoken to Sam for two and a half years. And now she's turned up on his doorstep. Her stomach flipped as she tried to think of what she would say to him. Hell, he probably hated her. Too much time had passed to mend the friendship they'd broken two years ago.

Effy breathed in deeply and briskly knocked on the door, the weight of her bags weighing her down. She could hear footsteps before the door flew open, Dean's signature smirk greeting her.

"Effy." His smirk grew in to a grin as she dropped her bags and practically leaped in to his arms, hugging him tight. He squeezed back and lifted her up, the familiar smell of leather and beer overcoming her.

"I missed you." She whispered in to his chest as he put her down, resting his head on hers.

"Likewise, kiddo." He smiled as they let go of each other. He leant over and grabbed the straps of her bags before standing to the side, motioning inside. "Come in."

Effy got out of his way as he picked her bags up, walking inside and looking around the small and rather old apartment. It looked like it'd been abandoned for years. She walked in to the kitchen, nodding to the kettle on the stove. "Don't suppose you've got any tea?"

Dean smirked as he dropped her bags by the couch, leaning back to meet her eyes from the next room. "You mean hot leaf water? Nah, we don't got any of that. But I think I can reach that tree outside the window, grab you a couple fresh ones."

Effy clasped her hand over her heart and gasped. "How barbaric." She'd also noticed the apartment seemed relatively empty, that Dean was alone. "Where's Sam?" She asked, trying to play down how anxious she was about seeing the youngest Winchester again.

Dean picked up his beer and leant against what Effy assumed had been a dining table. "Out stalking this chick we ran in to last night." He took a sip and sighed. "He met her at a bus stop in Indiana, doesn't seem to accept that it's a coincidence."

Effy raised her eyebrows as she went to the fridge to take a beer. "Well coincidences don't really happen to people like us, Dean."

He nodded. "Maybe not."

Effy leant against the doorframe as she popped the cap of her beer. "I found some of this stuff in-"

"Sneaking in a beer, Eff?" Dean stared at her, eyeing the beer in her hand. His tone was scolding, almost like that of a father telling off his child. Suddenly she felt like she was fifteen again, sneaking in to her parent's liquor cart with Sam and getting shitfaced. Garrett and Dean had caught them and cleaned them up, getting them water and kebabs before putting them to bed.

"…What?" Effy asked, raising her eyebrows.

Dean crossed his arms. "Didn't know you were 21."

"I'm of legal age." She rolled her eyes, taking a sip.

"Not in this country."

"I'm 21 in a couple of months, bite me." She winked at him and took another sip, smiling at him as he huffed.

She took a step forward, moving to sit on the couch. "Anyway, I found some of this stuff in my grandpa's journal. He was real big on ancient magic, so I called Garrett and asked if he could scan the pages and email them to me." She reached in to her book bag and pulled out the old book she'd used for her research. "These Daeva's are hard-core, Dean. I haven't found a vulnerability yet." She tilted her head as she thought. "Unless…"

Dean gestured for her to finish her sentence. Effy always did this, having conversations with herself. "What?"

She raised her eyebrow. "They're… 'shadow' demons, right? Maybe if there's no shadow…"

Dean pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows in consideration, putting his beer down. "It's a start."

They heard the apartment door open and heavy footsteps on the wooden floorboards. Dean nodded to Effy and muttered a quick "Hang on."

 _Sam's here. Oh God. Sam's here. What am I supposed to say? Hey Sam, good to see you! Last time you saw me we were about to rip each other's throats out. No. Hey Sam, good to see you! It's been awhile. Nope, too casual._

"Dude, I've gotta talk to you." Dean and Sam synchronised as they greeted each other. Effy's stomach flipped as she heard Sam's voice. _Oh God._

"Uh… but first." She heard Dean mumble slightly.

Effy chugged the rest of her beer as she heard them coming closer, taking her reading glasses off and pulling her hair to one side.

And there he was. Sam Winchester. Shit, she'd almost forgotten how tall he was. He made even Dean look small when stood next to him, he basically filled the doorframe. He was more tanned than when she last saw him, his hair still had that flick to it when he kept it that length. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked at her, probably taking him a second to realise that she really was there. She stood as soon as their eyes met, sticking her hands in to her jacket pockets.

"…Effy?" He asked quietly.

She offered him a small, twitchy smile. "Hi, Sam." She didn't really know what to do. What he thought of her.

Suddenly, he marched over to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. He took her by surprise – it took her a moment to reciprocate the hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling into his chest as they embraced. Christ, she'd forgotten how small she felt around him. She barely made it to his shoulder.

A hug longer than most, they both drew back after a good few moments, smiles on their faces and some tears starting to well in their eyes. "God, it's been like, two and a half years?"

Effy nodded and swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Yeah. Long time."

"It's good to see you."

Dean walked into the room behind his brother, a smirk on his face as he watched their reunion. "Eff here did the research, drove here basically as soon as I called her."

Effy cleared her throat and looked from Dean to Sam, her smile fading as she got back to business. "Deal is, Sam, these Daeva's are conjured with some real ancient, dark magic. Whoever's summoning them has got to be a huge player, one I'm not sure a couple of hunters can go up against."

"Good thing we have you." Dean smirked as he took her book from the coffee table she'd left it upon, flicking through the pages.

Sam nodded at her, eyes flickering from her to Dean. "I know who it is." Dean watched him as if asking for confirmation, and Sam gave a hesitant nod. "Meg, the girl I met in Indiana. I saw her talk through this bowl at an altar… with that symbol."

Dean chuckled at the mention of the name. "So hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?"

Sam nodded, his face grim. "Looks like she was using the black altar to control the things."

Dean sat down and took a sip of his beer, raising his eyebrows at Sam. "So Sammy's got a thing for bad girl." Sam shot him a look and Effy raised her eyebrows questioningly, only for Dean to shake his head as if to say _'it's nothing'._ "So what's the deal with that bowl again?" The older Winchester brother asked.

"She was talking in to it, the way witches used to scribe with crystal balls or animal entrails, she was communicating with someone."

"With who, the Daeva?" Dean asked.

"No, Daeva's are practically rabid animals." Effy's nose crinkled as she looked to Sam. "It was like she was getting orders from someone." Sam nodded at her.

"Holy crap." Dean ran a hand through his hair.

He opened Sam's laptop and pulled some papers out, nodding to them. "What I was gonna tell you earlier. I pulled a favour with my uh… friend, Amy, from the police department." Effy smirked at him as he mentioned his 'friend.' He'd always been a bit of a player. Even with Sera, but he'd never been like that with Effy.

He beckoned the two of them over. "The complete records of the two victims. We missed something the first time."

"What?" Sam asked, eyes watching Dean gather his things.

Dean pulled up the files he was looking for and nodded to them. "The uh.. first victim, the old man? He spent his whole life in Chicago but he wasn't born here, look where he was born."

Sam's mouth dropped open. "Lawrence, Kansas." Effy almost hadn't recalled that had been where the Winchester's were from. Hell, she barely thought they were from anywhere. They'd never had a home, always been on the road.

"The second victim, Meredith? Turns out she was adopted, guess where she was from." Dean showed them the second file.

"Holy crap." Sam covered his mouth with his hand.

"Yeah. I mean it is where the demon killed mom. It's where everything started." Dean rubbed his chin as he looked up to his brother. "You think Meg's tied up with the demon?"

Sam sighed. "It's a definite possibility."

"Or she is a demon." Effy looked between the brothers, shrugging at their questioning looks.

"But I don't understand, what's the significance of Lawrence? None of these Daeva things fit in." Sam frowned as he sat down opposite Dean, Effy standing at the end of the table.

Dean shrugged. "Beats me. But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg and have a friendly little interrogation."

Sam shook his head. "No, we can't. We shouldn't tip her off. We gotta stake out that warehouse, we gotta see who, or what is gonna meet her."

"We'll take both cars, just in case." Effy crossed her arms and nodded.

"I'll tell you what, I don't think we should do this alone." Dean looked from Effy to Sam, his eyes lingering on his brother. Effy knew exactly what he meant, and seeing Sam avert his gaze made the tension palpable.

She straightened up and walked over to her bag, taking out her phone. "I'll call my parents, last I heard they were in Louisiana."

Dean nodded and stood, his eyes flicking from his brother to his own phone. "And I'll call dad."

* * *

Effy walked back into the apartment and slid her phone in to the back pocket of her black jeans, straightening her oversized anorak jacket as she looked around. She saw only Sam, gathering weapons and throwing them in a bag. Effy sighed and went to grab her duffle, slinging it over her shoulder as she watched Sam.

"My parents are leaving as soon as they can but it'll still take them fifteen hours to get here. I don't think we have that kind of time."

He nodded, staying silent as he threw a pistol into the bag, ammo just after. She walked up behind him, eyeing him up and down. Judging by his reaction, he was still pretty tense about the phone call. "No luck?" She asked.

"No." He muttered, throwing more ammo into the bag and a couple large tins of rock salt.

"Where's Dean?"

"Loading up the car." Sam deadpanned. Effy rolled her eyes, he always did this. Brooding. "We should probably head down there."

Effy rubbed her nose and ran her hand along the strap of her duffle. "Yeah. Yeah." She shifted her weight on to her right leg and crossed her arms, looking up at him. "You alright Sam?"

Sam sighed and zipped up the bag. "Yeah… just feels kind of strange." He said as he threw his own duffle over his shoulder.

A wry smile crossed Effy's face as she looked around, shrugging. "What?"

Sam inhaled deeply before he turned around, looking Effy up and down briefly. "Seeing you again." He avoided her eyes and huffed slightly. "Seeing you still on the job... after this demon."

Effy smirked slightly as she remembered. "Yeah." She chuckled and shifted the duffle slightly, the weight hurting her shoulder. "Things weren't so civil last time."

Sam leant forward and offered to take the duffle for her, though she took a step back and shook her head, smiling softly.

He sighed and avoided her eyes. "Effy I'm-"

"Don't, Sam." She forced a smile. "Not right now. We don't have the time." She nodded outside and walked towards the door, looking back over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah. Of course."

* * *

The street was empty by the time they'd arrived, only streetlights and a couple neon signs provided what little light there was. Effy had parked closest to the warehouse and the boys around the corner. She'd taken as many weapons as she could carry; three knives, one up her sleeve, in her belt and in her boot, two pistols both holstered to her waist and she carried a shotgun, attaching the strap and slinging it over her torso.

"Shit, Eff, you're basically a walking armoury." Dean had looked her up and down as he'd approached her, whispering as they made their way in to the building.

Effy walked in behind Sam who led the way, smirking over her shoulder at Dean. "You know how it is. Better safe than sorry."

Slowly, they crept up the warehouse. They tread carefully, Sam holding a finger to his lips as they neared where Effy assumed the altar would be. As they neared, they saw Meg facing the altar, their back turned. All that stood between them was a higher platform, one that Effy couldn't reach. Sam signalled to Dean and he nodded, climbing first and taking Sam's shotgun before ducking behind crates, keeping an eye on the blonde who stood whispering at the altar.

Sam awkwardly nodded at the platform, almost asking Effy's approval to touch her. She nodded back, and he took her waist and held her up. She gripped the platform and pulled herself up, moving over to the crates next to Dean and whispering thanks to Sam. He pulled himself up last, Dean moving over to further tower of crates with Sam taking the middle. They swapped guns again as Sam filed in, Effy swinging her shotgun around and all three taking aim at this 'Meg' woman.

"Guys." Her voice sounded out as she still faced the altar. "Hiding's a little bit childish, don't ya think?"

Dean cursed under his breath. "Well that didn't work out like planned." He whispered.

She turned around and smiled at them. "Why don't you come out?"

Dean moved first, Sam after. Effy kept to his side, her eyes scanning the shadows.

"Sam. I have to say this puts a real crimp in our relationship." Meg's tone was icy as she tilted her head and widened her brown eyes.

Sam narrowed his eyes and frowned at her. "Yeah tell me about it."

Her eyes flicked to Effy, tilting her head as she looked her up and down. "Who's this?" She started tutting him as he didn't answer. "A rebound? Moving on so soon?"

Dean scoffed, his eyes never leaving the blonde. "Probably needed a change from evil psychotic bitch." His eyes looked to the altar behind her. "Where's your little daeva friend?"

"Around." She smiled. "And that shotgun's not gonna do much good."

Effy could see her, now. Really see her. Her true face. She was a demon.

Dean smirked at her, his tone still sharp. "Well don't worry, sweetheart. Shotgun's not for the demon."

Though it wouldn't do much other than kill the poor girl the demon had possessed. Effy felt uneasy, only her surviving grandmother knew of her abilities. She'd warned Effy, warned her they would manifest. But she didn't know if she could explain them to hunters. If she couldn't understand them, why would they?

Sam raised his eyebrow at her. "So who is it, Meg? Who's coming? Who are you waiting for?"

She took her time to look them all in the eyes, a smug smile spreading on her face.

"You."

Effy's eyes widened as she saw shadows move out of the corner of her eye. She looked to the wall behind them to see a shadowy claw raising itself to Sam.

"Sam!" She screamed, pushing him out of the way as the claw swiped at her, a glaring pain spreading on her cheeks. She heard Dean grunt as he got hit too, Sam yellling as it got her again, the second strike took her in the stomach, almost getting exactly where she'd fallen on her knife months ago.

The third knocked her across the head, knocking her to the floor as the warehouse faded to black.

* * *

Sam coughed as he woke, his head pounding as he opened his eyes and the light flooded back in. He grunted as he realised his hands were tied behind his back, pulling on his shoulders.

"Hey Sam." Dean's voice sounded from his right. "Don't take this the wrong way but your girlfriend?" He coughed a little as he looked up at Meg, glaring at her. "She's a bitch."

Sam looked over to see Dean tied to a pole to his right, looking slightly worse for wear than before. He felt blood trickling down his cheek as he twisted his head further, seeing Effy tied across from him. Her head was still bowed, blood trickling from her head and her once grey tank now half red with blood. "Effy?" He whispered, nodding to her as Dean looked over.

Sam looked to Meg, her eyes watching him with a curious fascination that almost masked her intent. "This? The whole thing was a trap. Running in to you at the bar… following you here, hearing what you had to say. It was all set up, wasn't it?"

She smirked at him, confirming his suspicions.

He scoffed as he looked up at her. "And the fact that the victims were from Lawrence?"

She shrugged and looked at him with her coy smile. "It doesn't mean anything. It was just to draw you in, that's all."

Dean tried to tap Effy's foot with his, but he couldn't reach. Sam felt his chest tighten as he saw the small girl sitting there, beaten. And they'd been the reason for it.

"You killed those two people for nothing."

Her mouth quirked as she looked at him. "Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less."

Dean glared at her. "You trapped us. Good for you." Sam took the opportunity to slip the knife hidden from his sleeve. "It's Miller time. Why don't you kill us already?"

"You two? No, I still need you." She smiled at him. "Her, though?" She walked over to Effy and crouched before her, grabbing her chin and lifting it. "Well, I don't need her."

"No, you do." Sam perked his head up, thinking on his feet. "That, there? That's Elizabeth Bennett." Meg tilted her head as her eyes flicked back to the girl she crouched before. "Yeah. Paul Bennett's youngest." Her eyes flicked back to Sam as he spoke. "See, your boss might want him just as much as he wants our dad. Hell, he'll want the whole family. Her parents are driving up as we speak."

Dean narrowed his eyes as he stared at the woman. Seeing her touching Effy made his stomach churn. "So this whole thing, it's a trap for dad?"

He scoffed when she didn't answer. "Oh, sweetheart. You're dumber than you look. Cause even if Dad was in town, which he's not, he wouldn't walk in to something like this, he's too good."

Meg let go of Effy and stood, walking over to Dean. "He is pretty good. I'll give you that. But you see, he has one weakness."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "What's that?"

"You."

She crouched before him, her twisted smile small. "He lets his guard down around his boys. Lets his emotions cloud his judgement." She smiled as she taunted him. "I happen to know he is in town, and he'll come. And try to save you. And then the daeva's will kill everybody. Nice. And Slow. And messy."

"Well I got news for you, it's gonna take a lot more than just some… shadow to kill him." Sam knew by now Dean would have his own knife out, trying to cut at the ropes. One of them would have to stall for the other, that damn altar needed to be destroyed.

Meg smiled at him. "Oh the daeva's are in the room, here. They're invisible. Their shadows are just the only parts you can see."

Sam tilted his head as he looked at the woman, trying to take her attention from Dean to give him time to cut his ropes while he worked at his own. "Why are you doing this, Meg? What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?"

"I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do." She smiled as she focused her attention on Sam. "Loyalty. Love. Like the love you have for mommy, and Jess."

He flinched at the name. His loss was still raw. His heart felt heavy as he glared at her. "Go to hell."

She crouched down to him and smirked, moving her legs to either side of his and straddling him. "Baby, I'm already there."

Meg brought her mouth to Sam's ear, biting down gently before whispering in his ear. "Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty. I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me changing in my apartment. It turned you on didn't it?"

Dean rolled his eyes and scoffed, his forehead creasing, as he looked over to Effy, still not awake. It only motivated him to work faster on his binds. "Get a room, you two."

"I didn't mind. I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun."

"You wanna have fun?" Sam spat. "Go ahead then, I'm a little tied up right now."

Dean looked to Effy's stomach. She could have internal bleeding. "Effy? Eff?!" He called her name, working harder at his binds. The force he put behind the knife made him miss, tapping the pole and the sound of metal rang throughout the warehouse.

Meg's head snapped over to Dean's direction. _Alright, Sammy. It's up to you now._

"Were you just trying to distract me so your brother could cut himself free?" She walked over to Dean and took the knife from him, throwing it away towards the altar. She moved back over to Sam, smirking at Dean and folding her arms.

"No, no." Dean shook his head, mocking his fear.

Sam's eyes flicked to Effy, cursing under his breath. He felt the rope snap as he cut free. "It was because I have a knife of my own." He shouted and head-butted the blonde, forcing her back and freeing himself completely of his binds. He ran towards Effy before Dean yelled at him.

"Sam! Get the altar!"

He looked to the altar, seeing the shadows starting to converge on him. He lurched towards it and flipped it, watching the blood and wax from the candles drip and the wood crack.

Meg grabbed her head and her eyes widened as she realised what Sam had done. "No… no!" She screamed, but it was too late.

The shadows took her, dragging her from the warehouse and pulling her through the window.

Sam freed Dean first, cutting his ties as quickly as he could before freeing Effy, cupping her face and checking her wounds.

Her eyes slowly flickered open as he ran a thumb along her cheekbone, a faint and tired smile crossing her lips as she looked up at him. "Did I miss the fun?" She whispered as Dean came to her side, checking her stomach. It was a superficial cut, not deep enough to do serious damage. It was the head wound they had reason to worry about.

"Nah, kid. You were the life of the party." Dean smiled as Sam took his hand from her face, smiling slightly as the life came back into it. He rose and jogged towards the window, looking down to see what remained of Meg.

Dean pulled Effy's arm around his waist and supported her weight, helping her walk over to the window to stand beside Sam.

Effy's eyes widened as she saw Meg lying on top of her car, the roof dented and smashed glass almost covering even the sidewalk. "Oh, fuck." She hissed as she looked down. "My fucking luck."

It wouldn't stop the demon, but it would sure as hell slow them down. They'd need to get out of the city as soon a they could.

Dean raised his eyebrows as he looked down at the body. "So I guess the daeva's didn't like being bossed around."

"I guess not." Sam mumbled.

"Hey, Sam?" Dean looked to his brother, face straight.

"Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that's not so fucking crazy, yeah?" He flashed a quick smirk before helping Effy out of the warehouse and to the Impala.

* * *

"Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" Sam asked, the duffle that Dean had insisted he bring inside slung over his shoulder.

Dean fumbled for the keys to the apartment in his jacket, his arm still holding up Effy. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Better safe than sorry."

Effy rolled her eyes and tried her best to smirk at Dean. "I believe that was me who said it before."

Dean opened the door and stepped inside first, shoving the keys back in his pocket as he looked to his side to make sure Effy was still moving well. As he looked back up, he saw a dark figure standing by the window.

"Hey!" He yelled. Effy drew her pistol in half a second, still relying on Dean for support. Sam and Dean hesitated, watching carefully as the man slowly turned and light hit his face.

"Dad?" Dean asked, mouth agape, as he looked the man up and down.

John smiled a teary smile at his sons. "Hey boys." He nodded to Effy as she lowered her gun; smile still tugging at his cheeks. "Effy. It's good to see you."

She nodded and smiled at him, dropping her arm from Dean and allowing him to move forward and embrace his father. She held the wall for support before she felt Sam's arm on her waist. She nodded, wrapping her arm around him and walking closer to Dean and John.

Sam put the bag down at his feet and stood tall in front of his father.

"How are you, kid?" Her Uncle John smiled at Effy. Sam passed her to his father; she almost stumbled into his arms. They hugged each other tightly. "Surviving." She smirked. Her stomach throbbed as she hugged him, her hand shooting to the wound. Dean's hand grazed her elbow and John's hands were still holding her, their eyes concerned.

"Just a flesh wound." She tried to smile and stood back, leaning against Dean. John's eyebrows were furrowed before he looked up at his youngest son. He nodded at his son, a proud smile on his face. "Hi, Sam." His eyes were misty. Effy knew they'd had a much bigger falling out than she had with Sam.

"Hey dad." Sam smiled back at his father, nodding at him.

Dean looked at his father. "Dad it was a trap, I didn't know I'm sorry." He sounded slightly choked up.

John smiled, nodding at his son. "It's alright. I thought it might've been."

"Were you there?" Dean asked.

John nodded again. "Yeah I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?"

"Yes sir." The brothers responded, synchronised. Effy felt like she was amongst soldiers rather than her family friends.

John's hands were firmly in his pockets, he nodded and looked to the ground before meeting the young hunter's eyes. "Good. Well, that doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before."

"The demon has?" Effy asked.

"It knows I'm close. It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell. Actually kill it."

Dean eyed him cautiously. "How?"

From the look on his face, he had no fucking idea. "I'm working on that."

"Let us come with you." Sam took a step forward to his father. "We'll help."

John only shook his head. "No, Sam. Not yet. Try to understand, this demon is one scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in the crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

Sam wouldn't back down. "Dad, you don't have to worry about us."

"Of course I do. I'm your father." His smile was sad as he looked between his sons. Effy felt as though she were intruding on a family moment, though it wasn't exactly like she could move off and give them privacy.

"Listen Sammy." John sighed. "Last time we were together we had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir." Sam barely blinked, still standing tall.

John proudly bowed his head to his son. "It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Too long." Sam's eyes were misty too. The men hesitate for a second, but drew each other into a tight hug. Effy smiled and looked up at Dean. It was a moment he'd been waiting for for the last two years, and from the smile on his face you could definitely tell.

Suddenly, John was flung back, landing at the kitchen cupboards. Sam was next, thrown across the room with a new scratch across his face.

"No!" Dean shouted as Effy was torn from him, both of them flung in opposite directions. They all struggled to move as the daeva's held them back, their silhouettes visible only in the shadows.

John was screaming as the daeva's pinned him to the cupboards, cutting him slowly and almost crucifying him. They seemed to be simply holding Sam and Dean back, before Sam spotted one on the wall behind him. It's head snapped towards Effy, it's shadow flying towards her and leaning over her body, new claw marks appearing on her arm as it struck her. Her screams were raspy and almost soundless as she writhed on the ground.

Sam spotted a flare in the duffle. _Shadow demons…_

He fought hard to move forward, throwing himself at the duffle bag and grabbing the flare, looking around the room.

"Shut your eyes! These things are shadow demons, so lets light 'em up!"

He lit the flare, the light instantaneously banishing the demons from the room. John slumped against the counter and Dean looked to Sam, nodding at Effy as the fumes made them all cough.

"Dad!" Dean yelled, pulling himself up from the floor.

"Over here!" John called out, still slumped against the kitchen counters.

Sam gathered the duffle and threw it over his shoulder before picking Effy up, almost stumbling as he coughed and coughed. He saw Dean helping his father up and the four of them made their way to the door, rushing out into the hallway and down the stairs.

They burst out of the building, Dean and John first and Sam holding Effy not far behind.

As they made it to the Impala, Sam put Effy down back on her feet as gently as he could.

"Alright, come on, we don't have much time, as soon as the flare's out they'll be back." He opened the door to the impala, throwing the duffle in.

"Wait, wait wait!" Dean yelled. "Sam, wait."

They all looked at him expectantly, Effy leaning against the Impala and clutching her stomach.

Dean hesitantly looked to his father, a conflicted look on his face. "Dad, you can't come with us."

Sam scoffed. "What? What are you talking about?"

John looked between his sons. "You boys, you beat the hell out of-"

"We'll be alright." Dean nodded.

Sam's mouth was agape, shocked at his brother. "Dean, we should stick together! We'll go after this demon together."

Dean put a hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to calm him. "Sam, listen to me! We almost got dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're gonna try again, they're gonna use us to get to him. Meg was right, Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's stronger without us around."

Sam looked to his father, hoping for some sort of argument. "Dad. No. After everything, after all this time we've spent looking for you. Please, I gotta be apart of this fight."

John looked at his son sadly. "This fight is just starting, and we are all going to have a part to play. For now you gotta trust me son. Okay, you gotta let me go."

"I'll take Eff with me, I'll get her someplace safe." John looked to Dean, his oldest son nodding and popping the boot of the Impala, pulling the girl's bags they'd retrieved from the crushed Altima.

Sam shook his head. "No, we can take care of her." He might have failed to protect her, but he was damn sure he'd make up for his mistake.

Effy objected. "No, Sam. It's okay." She smiled at him as Dean passed John her bags, his father wrapping his free arm around her waist before they walked to his car. "I'll call." Her eyes flicked to Dean and he nodded.

They moved as quickly as they could, John throwing her bags in the back of his truck and helping her into the passenger side before jogging to the driver's door, looking back at his son's.

"Be careful, boys."


	5. when you went away it was morning

**five**

* * *

Effy dabbed the damp gauze against John's head as he drove, wiping the dried blood away. He insisted she clean herself up first, and she had, leaning over and reaching for a large first aid kit John kept in his glove box. She took care of the bleeding from her stomach first and then cleaning the cuts on her arm and head, bandaging her stomach and arm.

She'd called her parents not long after they'd left, telling them to stay away from Chicago. She said she'd call back when they were sure they weren't being followed, not wanting to bring the daeva's down on her parents.

"How're you feeling?" Effy asked as she held his chin with her other hand. She took the bloodied gauze away from his face and put it with the others, taking out a new one to wipe the last bits of crusted blood from his face. The corners of his mouth quirked slightly as he kept his eyes on the road ahead, nodding curtly. "Fine, sweetheart. I'm fine." He glanced at her and offered a small, grateful smile.

"Where are we going?" Effy looked to the road long and empty road before them, barely any streetlights around.

"Bobby Singer's place. We'll be there by lunch." The dark sky had started to get lighter as they drove. It'd been two days since she'd properly slept.

Effy frowned. "Bobby's?" She chuckled slightly as threw the bloodied gauze in a plastic bag. "Last I heard he chased you off with a shotgun."

John's eyes did not move from the road, his face straight. "I'll drop you off there."

"You're going to leave me?" Effy asked. She had been hoping John might actually let her help him.. or at the least her father.

John shook his head as he glanced at Effy through the rear-view mirror. "I'm not bringing you into this, Effy." He sighed and adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. "I don't think your old man would be very happy with me."

Effy rolled her eyes as she took a new piece of gauze. "Sod the old man, I can help."

He smiled slightly without looking at her. A sad smile, a somewhat condescending smile. "I know you can, Effy. But you're injured." He nodded to her, eyes still trained on the road. "Bobby'll take care of you, set you up with a new ride."

She sighed and leant in to the window, almost raising her arm to rest along the window before she felt the pain from her wound flare. She glared over at him. Effy knew he wouldn't have let her go with him. She was hopeful, but she knew.

"At least don't stay off the grid this time." She looked up at him, sitting back up to take his wrist. "Call my dad."

He shook his head. "I don't want to get anyone hurt."

Effy looked up at him, a pleading look in her eyes. "He wants the demon just as much as you." She tried to get him to look at her, but his eyes never moved from the road. "He's a big boy. And the strongest man I know. Let him help you."

He took a few moments, not moving nor making a sound as he stared at the road ahead. He'd been hunting this thing for twenty-two years relentlessly. _His_ mission. Her father still had his family together – they hadn't been thrown in to the life. They'd been born in to it. Being killed by a demon? Another day at work, as far as the Bennett's were concerned. But when it came to the Winchesters…

Eventually, he sighed, and gave her the smallest of nods.

She nodded and took out her phone, setting the new gauze aside. "I'll call them, get them to meet us there." They'd be more than half way to Chicago at this point. She'd warned them not to enter the city, but there hadn't been time for her to say much else.

Effy looked over to John and watched his face. "You could've called us." She said, sadly. "I understand leaving Sam and Dean out of this. Meg made that much clear." She put her hand on his arm as he drove, trying to offer what little comfort she could. "But you always could've called us."

If he hadn't of spoken Effy would've sworn the man wouldn't even know she were touching him. His face was carved in stone, the grim look that always seemed to be plastered to his face. "It's something I have to do alone."

She squeezed his arm. "Not anymore." He flinched ever so slightly, and Effy saw she'd touched one of the many cuts the daeva had made in his skin. She picked up the gauze and wet it with the flask John kept in the side of his door, wetting it before taking his arm and dabbing the crusted blood away.

They drove in silence for awhile, Effy patiently cleaning his arm. He'd taken it back a few times when he'd had to make a turn, though the roads were empty and light was only just filtering through.

"Dean cares about you." He spoke as Effy began to wrap his wrist with a bandage. He seemed stunned, raising his eyebrows as he spoke. "Never seen him worry 'bout someone so much that didn't share his blood."

She smiled at him and continued wrapping his wrist. "He's family." She said as she tucked the bandage in. "And so are you."

Effy took a large plaster to place on his forearm, cleaning it again quickly with more alcohol.

"You'll look after the boys, won't you?" John looked at her for a moment before his eyes flickered back to the road. "When I'm gone?"

Effy frowned at him. _So that's what he's been thinking about._ "You aren't going anywhere." She dismissed him and went to place the plaster on his arm.

"Effy, a hunter's life never ends in bed at a ripe old age."

"Never say never." She didn't look at him as she placed the plaster, smoothing it out and wiping her hands as she went to dispose of the wrappings and bloodied gauze. He looked at her, still wanting her confirmation.

She frowned at him as he watched her. He really wanted an answer. _He really thinks he's going to die._ "Of course." She said, almost bewildered that he thought she'd turn her back on them.

He smiled at her and put a hand on her knee, squeezing it gently before bringing his hand back to the wheel. "Get some sleep, kiddo. You've had a long night."

* * *

Effy rose her bad arm to the door, knocking loudly before lowering it. Over her torso was on of her duffle bags – her clothes, the lightest of the lot. John held her other two, standing behind her. He was hesitant to see Bobby again, the last time he'd seen the man he'd been chased out of the property with a shotgun. But Bobby's was the closest thing to a safehouse he knew.

The door swung open, a familiar man with a trucker hat on looking his two guests up and down. "John?" He asked before his eyes flickered to the young woman. "Effy?"

Effy was stood in her combat boots, dark jeans and black tank top. Tied around her waist was a red flannelette shirt, blood spattered over it. Her arm was bandaged and her face had a dried cut across her cheek. She forced a smile as she looked up at the man whose porch she stood upon.

"Hi, Uncle Bobby."

Bobby gripped her shoulders on either side, being careful not to press on the bandage and looked at her face, cupping It with his hand as he examined her. "Are you okay, girl?"

She flashed her wry smile at him. Though she was visibly exhausted, she was too damn proud to act it. "Flesh wounds." She dismissed. She nodded behind him. "Couch free?"

He sighed and smiled at her. "Sweetheart you can take the spare room upstairs." He gestured at her bag and with her approval, lifted the strap from around her body and took the bag from her as she took a step inside.

She turned around and looked between the two men, her smile fading. "I uh… I've gotta pee." Bobby smirked slightly nodded upstairs as he put her bag down by the door. "I'll bring your bags up in a minute."

She nodded and turned, knowing the two men would probably want to speak in private. Besides, she'd probably needed to wash her face or something. Or she'd actually pee.

When Bobby heard her footsteps fade, he turned to look at John. He glared daggers at the man. "Of course she gets hurt when she's with you!" He spat.

John sighed and put her bags down. "She was with Sam and Dean." But Bobby wasn't wrong. He took a breath as Bobby looked at him expectedly. "In a trap… that was supposed to lure me."

"You Winchesters. Bunch of idjits." Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Why do you think I brought her here?" John looked at Bobby. Something about him was different. He was usually so fiery, so sure of himself. Now… well, now, he just looked exhausted.

Bobby crossed his arms and grunted. "Paul's gonna kill ya."

John didn't look the man in the eye, instead putting his hands in his pockets and looking to the ground. "Yeah, well. Not the first hunter I've pissed off."

"Not the last." Bobby's glare was icy. "Don't be bringing that kid in to your shit, John. You'll get her killed."

"I know." He nodded, eyes trained on the ground.

Bobby sighed. "Don't bring any of those Bennett kids in to this." He growled. "See, Paul's been smart. He's taken notes where he can, had the help of his wife, and now his kids." He uncrossed his arms and scoffed as he gestured outside. "You just run headfirst after that thing."

John was quiet as Bobby spoke, still not looking the man in the eye. "I'm close." His voice was barely a whisper.

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "You've been _close_ for five goddamn years." He spat. He watched the man a moment before rolling his eyes. "You're gonna leave before they get here, aren't ya?" John didn't move, didn't say anything. Only confirming Bobby's assumption. "You've never bothered to just stop and think."

"You have no idea." John looked at the man, glaring at him. _There_ was the fire.

"The hell I don't." Bobby nodded outside. "Get out of here."

Effy hesitantly came back down the stairs, looking between the two men and sensing the tension. As she came down, Bobby sighed as he thought of how much the girl might've heard.

"Thanks, Uncle John." She smiled up at the old Winchester. "Mum and dad should be here in an hour or two." She looked at Bobby to see him avoiding John's eyes. _Shit, you could cut the tension with a machete._ "I can uh… tell them to meet you at the motel down the road?"

John nodded and a small smile crept on his face. "Sure." He brought the girl in to a hug, being careful of her stomach and arm. "Be careful, kid."

"You too." She smiled at him. As he pulled away, she snatched his arm. "But if you need help, for the love of God make the call next time." She let go of him and tried to smile at him reassuringly. "All you have to do is ask."

He smiled that bloody _sure I will, kid,_ smile as his eyes flicked to her pocket, nodding at her. "Tell the boys you're here."

"Yeah. I will." She smiled as she put her hand over the phone in her pocket. "See you soon."

John nodded as he stepped back, ready to walk to his car. "Bye, kid."

As he walked away Bobby closed the door, a disapproving look on his face.

"You gotta stay away from him, Effy."

Effy furrowed her brows. "He's family, Uncle Bobby."

Bobby nodded. "He might be, but he will hunt that demon to the ends of the Earth and he doesn't give a damn who gets in his way."

She rolled her eyes, but she wasn't going to argue with him. She knew it, in truth. But she wanted so desperately to help. Because she _knew_ that she could. "I'll put the rest of your stuff in your room, then we'll get you patched up good and proper." Bobby smiled as he went to grab her bags.

"Thanks." Effy smiled as she grunted slightly, feeling the painkillers John had given her starting to wear off.

"Anything for you, sweetheart."

* * *

Trying to find something to eat in Bobby Singer's kitchen was like trying to find water in a desert. The man had a fridge full of beer, some leftover pizza and a half-empty jar of pickles. Bobby was out in the yard working on a car, giving Effy permission to find herself some food.

Effy sighed as she opened her pantry with her good arm, glimpsing some lentils and rice. She bent over to look at the rice, rolling her eyes as she spotted more weevils than rice grains. Kicking it to the side, she opened the lentils. Green, her favourite. And no weevils! She tried to lift the bag with one arm, having to contort her body and use her knee to do so, but eventually she placed it on the counter.

Pots… pots… pots…

She opened a cabinet and smiled as she saw a dusty pot, snatching it up and rinsing it out at the sink.

"Alright just some water… rinse the lentils… boil in some water… some spices…" She smiled to herself as she cooked. "There." She set the pot on the stove, a satisfied smirk on her face as she walked over to the living room, sitting in Bobby's chair. Her eyes glazed over the pages and books spread over his desk. He'd kind of been the acting information centre for hunter's for the last couple years. Probably researching to help out other hunters.

Effy jumped out of the chair as she heard the door open, a man and a woman's voice sounding throughout the room.

She walked towards the door and froze as she entered the hallway, standing before the people who'd just entered the house.

"Mum?"

Her mother turned her head, her shoulder length blonde hair flipping as she glanced at her daughter, a warm smile spreading across her face. They ran towards each other, colliding into an embrace. Effy grunted as her mother squeezed, worried the wound from her stomach may bleed again.

Marie was slightly taller than Effy, her hand on the back of her daughter's head as they hugged. She pulled away slightly and cupped her hands to Effy's face. "Oh, look at the state of you." Her eyes ran to her daughter's arm, and then she glanced at her stomach, where Effy's hand was now pressed against her wound. "What happened, love?"

She smirked up at her mother and waved her off. "Some shadow demons tore in to me a little." Her mother wasn't buying it, giving her an exasperated look and putting a hand on her hip. "Flesh wound, really." She smiled again, looking behind her mother to only see Bobby. "Where's dad?" She asked.

Marie turned and gave Bobby a look. Effy looked between them and rolled her eyes, stomping towards the door. "John left, didn't he?

Her mother looked at her with eyes that showed she so desperately wanted to tell her daughter something else.

Effy cursed and hobbled back towards the kitchen, running a hand through her hair. "I fucking knew it." She glanced over her shoulder as Bobby closed his front door and they followed her. "The way he looked at me before he left…" She grabbed a spoon and started furiously stirring her lentils. "Couldn't fucking wait two hours, could he."

"Don't swear, Effy. It's unbecoming." Her mother sighed as she crossed her arms and leant against the dining table.

She spun around, pushing away hairs from her forehead that were slick with sweat. "He was _here._ I should've just gone with him."

Bobby stood forward. "Hold on there, girl." He took the spoon off her and turned down the heat on the stove. "This ain't your fault. John wants to be stupid 'bout this, let him be stupid. Don't go throwing yourself in the fire after 'im."

Her eyes were sad when they met his. "He was right here. And I let him go."

"We both did." He sighed as he stirred her lentils, letting her move to sit down at the table. "Sometimes we gotta let people go."

Her mother sat across from her, sighing as she took her hands in her own. "My poor, sweet girl. So empathetic." She ran her thumbs over her daughter's hands as she held them. "You did all you could. The rest was up to him." She offered her daughter a smile. "We'll bring you back home with us, Eff. Garrett hopefully has cleaned the house, you can rest up on the beach." She shrugged slightly. "If it doesn't rain."

Effy shook her head and took her hands back, standing to move across the room. "No. I'm not going home."

"Effy…"

"No, mum." She turned around, staring at her mother.

She couldn't leave. Not yet. There was so much work to be done, so much she could do and help out with. And she couldn't leave Sam and Dean…

"I want to stay here." Her eyes flickered between Bobby's and her mother's. "I… I can help out. With research. And when I'm better…" She looked at Bobby, furrowing her brows slightly as the left the rest unsaid. "…If Uncle Bobby will have me."

He smiled that smile that seemed to warm her on even the coldest of days. "You don't even got to ask, sweetheart."

Marie nodded in thought before looking up at her daughter from where she sat. "I can't stop you, love." She tapped her fingers along the table for a moment before she met her daughter's eyes. "I'm flying out in the next few days. Your nan isn't very well, I'm going to go see her for a few days and I'll meet Sera there while I'm at it." The south of France, then. That was where her surviving grandmother lived. "I don't know what your father's plans are at this stage, dear." She sighed.

She nodded at her mother. "I…uh… I've got to make a call." She moved over and kissed her mother's head before walking off outside.

Walking towards the cars in Bobby's yard, she rested against an old and decrepit looking one she was worried for a moment she might write off just by sitting on the hood. Effy flipped open her phone and scrolled through her contacts before reaching 'Batman.' She smirked to herself as she dialled the number, bringing her phone to her ear.

"City morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em."

She rolled her eyes. "Hey, Dean."

"Hey, kiddo. You guys okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She nodded as she spoke, pressing her toes over some kind of weed she saw sprouting under her feet.

"How about Dad? Where are you guys?"

She sighed as he spoke. Did he honestly expect her to call him and say anything else? "That's why I'm calling…"

He paused as he realised what she meant. "He left you, didn't he."

She looked to the house. "I'm at Bobby's. He said he'd wait to meet my parents, but…"

Dean sighed. Effy could just see him pacing and bringing a hand to his head. "Yeah. Yeah." She heard him force a chuckle. "Bobby Singer, eh? Didn't think Dad had the guts to show his face back round there."

She smiled slightly. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Dean."

"Not your fault, Eff." It was silent for a few moments before she heard him click his tongue. "How are you feelin'? You took one hell of a beating back there…" He chuckled again, though less forced this time. "Saved Sammy from one hell of a scar."

Effy smiled as she stopped over the weed, crossing her bad arm across her stomach as she spoke. "Yeah. No, I'm fine. I did what I could in the car and Bobby cleaned me up when I got here."

"That's good to hear."

"How are you two? Sam got a slap from hell." She asked, looking up and around the car yard absent-mindedly.

"We're fine. Patched up, ready to roll out."

"I'm gonna be staying at Bobby's for awhile, I think." She smirked as she imagined her father, pedal to the metal trying to chase down John Winchester. "Pretty sure my dad's out there hunting yours down."

"The usual."

She nodded before pushing herself off the car, wiping the dust off of her jeans before she made to move back inside the house. "I'll call when I hear from him."

"Alright."

She took a few steps, about to close her phone. "Bye, Dean."

"Wait, Eff-" She heard muffled movement, stopping her in her tracks.

"Effy?"

"Sam?" She asked, not expecting him to snatch the phone from Dean.

"Hey… hey, uh… how are you feeling?" He sounded uneasy, just as he did before he'd tried to talk things out with her. To apologise, or whatever.

She was stiff, just as awkward in her own response. "I'm fine, Sam. Really."

"Good." It was silent for a few moments, though it was nowhere near as comfortable a silence as those she had with Dean. "I just wanted to uh… thank you. For… y'know… saving my life."

She nodded. "It was nothing."

"No, no it wasn't." He almost spoke overtop of her, his tone so sincere. "Really. Thank you."

"It's fine." She dismissed him. She wasn't particularly in the mood to talk to him, if she'd been forced to admit it. She didn't know what to say. What _are_ you supposed to say when you save someone's life? She was pretty sure all she saved him from was an even more bloodied face, considering Meg still wanted him alive. She looked back to the house and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "I've gotta go. Bye, Sam."

"Uh… see ya, Eff."

* * *

 **A/N:** So not an overly long or interesting chapter, but this is more of a filler between all the action and I hope from this you guys can gleam the kind of relationship not just Effy has with the Winchester's/Bobby but also the role the Bennett's have in the 'hunter' world. They're an anomaly in that they're a family unit that hasn't experienced a loss (that they weren't at the least prepared for) and also they're all still alive? Which could be subject to change very shortly ;)

Thank you for the lovely reviews ! You guys have been so sweet and I hope you continue to enjoy the story ! The next chapter should be up next week, so until then ~~


	6. when the proficient poison of sure sleep

**six**

* * *

The chill of the air conditioning in the morgue made Effy's arm break out in goosebumps under her suit jacket. She held the clipboard she had been handed seconds before as she hung back by the door, her eyes skimming over the document as Bobby followed the coroner. _Asphyxiation.._ Effy almost read aloud as her eyes glazed over the cause of death.

"Blisters?" Bobby asked as they approached the table, a white sheet covering a body laid out on the cold metal.

The coroner cleared her throat as she nodded to the body. "Yes, sir. Head to toe. Insides, too."

Bobby raised his eyebrows at the woman in front of him as his eyes flicked from the table to her. "And… you didn't think there was anything strange about that?"

The coroner clicked her tongue and sighed at him. "Of course it's strange, Agent. But I've got other bodies to examine and too few resources here to do much else with it." The older woman, mid-thirties, if Effy had to guess, looked between the two hunters. "Besides, that's what you guys are here for. Right?"

The corners of Effy's lips turned up as she lowered the clipboard and walked towards them. "Right."

She handed the clipboard back to the older woman and nodded to the body strewn across the table, still cold from having been inside the cool chamber. "If you don't mind, ma'am, we'd like some time to examine the body." She feigned an American accent, smiling curtly.

"Well, you won't find anything we haven't, but have at it. Give a shout if you need anything." The coroner raised her eyebrows at them before taking her leave, the frustration she felt that her examination of the body being inadequate was plainly clear.

Effy took some small disposable gloves from the counter nearby and a large pair for Bobby, handing them to him. He nodded his thanks and pulled them on quickly, gently taking a corner of the white sheet covering the body and peeling it back to the dead man's waist. He scrunched up his nose as he looked at the body – true to what had been said, the man was covered in cysts and boils.

"So, what do you think?" Bobby looked over at Effy, who was leaning over the body with a scalpel in hand, poking a blister. She collected pus on the scalpel and held it close to her bespectacled eyes, examining it.

"Just water." She took a paper towel from the table of utensils by the man's head and wiped the scalpel gently. It wasn't like she was expecting the blisters to be something …other than water or blood. But in their world, you never knew. "Normal blisters. Nothing spooky."

Bobby grimaced as she went to open more cysts – triple checking, of course. "Witch, maybe? Some kind of curse?"

Effy smirked as she stood up straight, scalpel still in hand. "Seems witchy." She put the scalpel down and traded it for a mouth mirror, gently prying the man's mouth open. "Well, they're in his mouth." She moved the mirror around, pushing it to the back of his throat. "These aren't ulcers. Never heard of blistered mouths or insides before." His throat was swollen.

"Get a look at this." She waved Bobby to her eyelevel, free hand pointing to mouth mirror at the back of the mans throat. "He couldn't breathe." Bobby sighed before straightening up, running a hand through his slicked back hair. The corner of Effy's mouth twitched in slight amusement as she too straightened, taking the mirror and placing it back down. "At least they got the cause of death right."

Bobby almost rolled his eyes at her. This was the part he most hated about their job; morgues. Body examinations. He did them, no questions asked, but even he could admit he got squeamish. But never Effy. Sometimes, he'd swear the girl enjoyed cutting up bodies and poking around. He peeled the gloves off of his hands and threw them in the non-sharps bin by the benches. "We should search the house, look for a hex bag." He sighed as he leaned against the bench. "And we should also talk to the friends and family, might be some bad blood."

Effy took a scalpel and smirked at him, quirking an eyebrow. "Spurned lover perhaps? Ooh! Or a vengeful wife?" Her eyes flickered back to the body. "Don't want me to have a little look inside? Might be something interesting…"

He furrowed his brows and huffed as he walked to the door, straightening his jacket slightly. "No sulphur and no ectoplasm. Leave the poor man be."

"Oh come on!" Effy groaned as she placed the scalpel down. "For science?"

Bobby made a point of almost slamming the door behind him as he left. Effy sighed and took her gloves off and threw them in the bin as if it were a basketball ring. "Magic Johnson!" She smirked to herself as it landed right where she wanted it to, hi-fiving herself mentally. "Nailed it."

* * *

Effy was standing in the living room of a small, cosy house the deceased owned. It felt almost like a cabin, wood made up the majority of the structure but she noticed the stone walls around the house. The eclectic look of the house made sense; the victim had been an architect. For a moment, Effy was almost grateful Bobby stopped her from exploring the man's innards – she was stood in front of his son questioning him. For some reason it didn't really feel _right_ being in his house or talking to his family when she'd been poking around his body not hours before. She cleared her throat and nodded as she jotted down notes on her notepad.

"Was your father showing any strange behaviour before he died, Mr. Glover?" Effy asked as she finished a small note about the family having lived in town for almost a decade. She was focusing largely on her fake American accent, trying not to drift in to valley girl territory.

He smiled slightly as she frantically wrote. "Ben, please." Effy's eyes flitted up from her notepad to him, _Ben_ Glover, smiling warmly. Effy returned his smile, a small gleam flickering in her eye before she bashfully looked back to her notepad. He cleared his throat before furrowing his brows slightly and tilting his head. "What do you mean by strange?"

There was a routine set of questions you asked, working a case. They weren't exactly subtle, but asking _'was the victim possessed by a demon from hell_ didn't exactly work too well. Effy cleared her throat as she tried to seem more… sane. "Was he seeing things, hearing voices? Visibly disturbed?"

He seemed confused as he shook his head. "No, no not that I can think of."

"Did your father have any enemies?"

His mouth was agape for a moment in disbelief. "Surely you don't think-"

"We can't be sure. We're making sure not to rule out anything that could be a possibility at this stage.." Effy was about to call him by his last name again but stopped herself, trying to offer as warm a smile as he had her. "Ben."

He nodded, swallowing as he thought. "No. Everyone loved him."

Effy nodded as she wrote that down as Bobby descended the stairs, the sound turning Ben's head. That was her queue to wrap things up, and she'd got what she could out of the son in mourning. She flipped the notepad closed and stuck it into her pocket. "Okay. Thank you for your time, Ben." Before she moved, she looked into his eyes for a few moments. He was a nice lad, not too bad on the eyes either. He was tall, at least six foot, with tanned skin and pale green eyes hidden by some wisps of brown hair.

"I'm sorry for your loss." She smiled sadly at him.

He nodded. "Thank you, Agent Williams."

"Isabelle, please." She smirked at him. He chuckled and nodded at her, accepting her mocking.

"Thank you, Isabelle."

Effy turned to meet with Bobby at the bottom of the stairs, Ben following them to escort them to the door. He hesitated as they stepped outside, his throat croaking slightly as she tried to get his words out. "I uh… I hope I see you around."

She looked over her shoulder at him; her high ponytail grazed her jacket as she turned. "Yeah. I hope so, too."

Bobby huffed as the door closed, trudging towards the car with a sour look on his face. "Really?" He mumbled before opening the driver's door.

"What?" Effy's eyes were wide as her stared her down.

"You know what." He narrowed his eyes and looked back to the house to make his point.

Effy shrugged innocently as she opened the passenger door. "That? That's nothing."

"Uh huh."

She smirked at him and pulled her seatbelt across her body. "Anyway, find a hex bag?"

Bobby sighed as the engine started. "Back to the drawing board."

* * *

Effy kicked open the door as she heard shrieking, salt shotgun in hand. She rushed inside, instinctively sprinting towards a room with wild flames dancing in the silhouette of the darkness. She saw Ben Glover, backed into a corner. Before him stood a ghostly apparition, flickering in and out of sight. The ghost's skin was blistered – with the exception of the cysts it looked much like the body of Ben's father. It had a wicked look on it's face as it eyed Ben down. Effy spotted an iron poker by the fireplace and grabbed it, swinging it hard through the apparition. It disappeared and the flames died down, and she met eyes with Ben, his eyes were wide and reddened by tears. She tucked the poker in to her belt and placed her free hand on his shoulder.

"Ben?" She asked, trying to bring his attention back to the present. "Ben, are you okay?"

He looked down at her, his eyes widening more at the shotgun in her hand. "Isabelle?" He pointed to where the ghost had been. "I saw her! My mom…" His deceased mother… she'd almost forgotten when she'd skimmed over the marital status of his father that day in the morgue. _Widow._ "Her skin…"

Bobby burst into the room, his own shotgun in hand and a canister of salt in his hand. "Bobby!" Effy shouted, retrieving the poker from her belt and throwing it to him. He threw the salt to her and she caught it, frantically opening it and drawing a circle in the middle of the room. Dropping the can, she took Ben's hand. "Ben, stay in this circle! Do you hear me?!" He nodded, not questioning her for a second.

She put her hand back on his shoulder, joining him in the circle. She squeezed slightly, trying to bring his eyes back to her. "Your mum, she was cremated, right?!" She asked, trying not to be too harsh with her tone. He didn't need more panic. "Do you have any possession of hers, something she really cared about?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Her diary…" He muttered, his eyes widening as his mother appeared again, behind Effy. Effy followed his eyes and hissed, readying her shotgun before Bobby brought the iron poker through the ghost. She nodded a brief thanks before looking back up at Ben.

"Where, Ben?! Where is it?"

He nodded upstairs. "My room, top of my closet." Effy nodded and jumped out of the circle, making a dash for the stairs.

"Effy!" Bobby tried to stop her.

"I got this!" She hissed. She jumped the stairs two at a time, checking her back pocket for her lighter as she poked her head through the different doorways.

The third door she tried she assumed to be Ben's room – there were numerous band posters and a guitar settled in the corner. She almost leapt across the room and flung open the closet, jumping up to reach for the contents at the top of the closet. Of course, she was too goddamn short. She went to jump again before she crashed into the floor. Her waist felt like it was burning and as she opened her eyes she saw Ben's mother. Her skin was… horrifying. Burns covered her, blisters everywhere. She swallowed and tried to raise her shotgun, but it was only thrown away from her.

"God… fucking…" She hissed as she felt her stomach burning.

Her eyes caught sight of a small leather-bound book hanging from the top of the drawers in the closet. Her eyes widened and she kicked as hard as she could, the book dropping in between her legs. She screamed and struggled under Mrs. Glover's grip, trying to shift her body. "Not… today." She shrieked as she brought her lighter down between her legs, the flame kissing the leather.

Mrs. Glover screamed as loudly as Effy had, leaning back from the girl sprawled across the floor. Effy instantly scrambled to her feet as fast as she could, wincing as she felt her stomach. She took the book in her hands and lit the pages proper, the flames burning faster and consuming the book as the ghost of Mrs. Glover did, her screams fading as the flames consumed her.

Effy huffed as she sat down on Ben's bed, watching the flames burn through the leather slowly.

"Not today."

* * *

"Fuck." Effy hissed through her teeth. Ben looked up at her, his eyes apologetic as he pressed the cold compress against her burn. It was superficial – they'd run it under cold water for twenty minutes to cool it, but damn, it still hurt like a bitch. She shook her head as she exhaled shakily. "Not your fault." He nodded and she moved her hand to hold the compress as he moved away, taking dressings from the first aid kit he'd pulled from the top cupboard.

Bobby had left at Effy's insistence. He took the remains of the diary and the urn that held Mrs. Glover's ashes and intended to salt and burn them, _just_ to make sure. Effy said she'd stay behind; help Ben clean up all the salt they threw around. He was hesitant, but Ben said he'd take care of her burn and drop her back at the motel – he was pre med, only home for summer.

Ben looked over at her, his green eyes watching her as she breathed deeply. "You aren't really an FBI agent, huh?"

"What gave it away?" Effy smirked, sighing as her skin had already begun to cool.

He shrugged as he walked over to her, setting the dressings next to her. "The accent, mostly." Effy smiled sheepishly as her eyes darted to the ground. There wasn't exactly much room in her mind in that kind of emergency to consciously keep the accent up.

"And… the ghost busting."

She leant back on the kitchen counter she sat on, nodding her head slightly as she clicked her tongue. "The movies make it look so much more glamorous." She recounted what she'd said to Garrett a few months before.

"I was pre-med too." Effy smirked down at him as he opened the packets of dressing. "Oh yeah?" He asked, a coy smile tugging at his lips. He was tall, so tall that even with Effy sitting on the kitchen counter his head was about an inch taller than hers. "Yeah." She smiled, leaning back on her left arm. "Well, kind of. Biomedicine."

"Are all med students back in the UK ghost busters, then?" Ben chuckled, meeting her eyes with his.

"Nah, I'm just special." She smiled.

Ben chuckled, nodding his head. He grew quiet as he pulled the dressing apart, cutting it smaller so that it would fit over her burn. Effy watched him now, her eyes growing sad as she looked at him. He was an orphan, now. And he'd just discovered that there was a whole other world of crazy things out there.

"I'm sorry about your parents." She swallowed as he looked to her, giving her a small smile. "That you had to see your mother like that…" She grimaced as she shifted, leaning forward. "Spirits are usually tied to Earth because something is preventing them from moving on. Eventually… it drives them mad."

He chuckled, though it wasn't humorous. "I just want to forget about all of this, honestly."

Effy nodded, feeling like an inconvenience. "Yeah. I don't blame you."

She leant back again as he held the dressing up, carefully lifting her shirt before placing it as gently as he could over the burn. Effy thanked him before jumping off of the counter, grabbing her shotgun off the table.

"Well."

She turned towards the door, but as she did Ben cleared his throat. "Uh… Isabelle…" He rubbed his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Would you wanna maybe have a drink?"

Effy smiled at him. "I have the time." She raised a finger as he stepped forward to grab his keys, setting her shotgun down by the door. "My name isn't Isabelle."

He laughed, nodding. "Right, of course it isn't." He crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow.

She smirked her signature smirk and extended her hand dramatically. "Effy."

He took it, smiling. "Thanks for saving my ass, Effy."

"Can't let such a fine ass go to waste, now can I?"

Ben raised his eyebrows at her, slightly surprised by her bluntness. She chuckled and pointed to the kitchen. "Beer?"

* * *

She stood on her toes as she kissed Ben goodbye, a goofy smirk crossing his face as his hands rested on her hips, pulling her close to him.

"I'll see you 'round." Effy smiled at him coyly. Nice lad as he was, she wasn't about to settle down with him. They both knew it was a one-time thing – she hoped.

He chuckled as his hands ran up to her waist. "I sure hope not." He pressed his lips to hers again, biting her bottom lip gently. She smiled in to the kiss. He was joking, of course. Ben quite liked Effy; she was beautiful, smart, and foreign. But he had a feeling she had a habit of showing up around danger, and if he ever saw her again he'd be close to death or something.

"Stay safe." She smiled up at him before finally pulling away from his embrace, trotting up the steps of the motel to the room she and Bobby shared. "You too." He smiled as he leant against his car, his thumb running across his lip as he watched her walk to her room.

Effy paused at the door, taking one last look back at Ben, a tingling feeling trailing from her cheek down her neck, remembering everywhere his lips had touched her. She flushed slightly before opening the door, waving goodbye to the young man before entering the room.

Bobby sat at the small table in the tiny kitchen they had, drinking coffee and eating his eggs, bacon and toast. He barely bothered to look up at her from the newspaper he had in his hands as he spoke. "Late night?"

Rolling her eyes, Effy crossed the room, pulling a hair tie from her wrist and wrapping her hair in to a bun. "Irish coffee?" She bit back.

He wasn't particularly happy with her – he'd known what she was up to. Effy rolled her eyes at the thought. If it were Dean with a cute little thing he'd saved, no one would bat an eyelid.

"What are you reading?" Effy asked as she rummaged her duffle for some clean clothes, eyeing off the towel she'd left hanging in the bathroom.

"What am I usually readin'?" He mumbled, spinning the newspaper around in her direction as she walked over the table, eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. "Here."

Effy skimmed the article, detailing multiple victims of blood loss with neck injuries in Lincoln. "Nebraska?" She asked, taking an unbuttered piece of toast from his plate and taking a big bite. "Sounds like a vampire gangbang."

Bobby raised his eyebrow at her, watching her as she read and chomped away. "When did you start speakin' like that?"

"Speaking like what?"

"Like Dean freakin' Winchester."

Effy shrugged. "Humour isn't only reserved for ' _Dean freakin' Winchester'_ , Bobby." She dismissed him, mocking his accent. Biting the crust of the toast, she nodded back to the newspaper article. "So, what, you want to check this out?"

Bobby nodded, his bags were already packed. He hadn't been on the road so often in a long time. Hell, it almost made him feel young again. "I've got someone checking it out." He nodded, tucking in to his breakfast. "If it's our kind of thing, you can go check it out." Nebraska was close to home, and god willing checking the case out wouldn't take too long – he'd been away from home for days, away from all of his books, his phones.

Effy raised an eyebrow. "No babysitter?"

Bobby rolled his eyes at her as he put a forkful of bacon in his mouth. "You won't exactly run guns blazin' into a vampire nest. You ain't dumb enough."

"I think I could surprise you." She smirked. He rolled his eyes and looked back to his paper. "Alright." She nodded as she nonchalantly strolled in to the kitchen, poking around the plastic bags laid against the countertop. "We got any porridge left?"

Her phone started ringing in her back pocket, blaring loudly over Bobby as he pointed to one of the bags of food on the counter and mumbled about the porridge.

"I suppose breakfast will have to wait."

She made way for the door, closing it behind her as she brought her phone to her ear. Effy cleared her throat before accepting the call, bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hi there, cowboy. Looks like you're about to take the ride of your life! All we hot, horny Holsteins need is your Visa, Mastercard…" She tried her best sultry Southern accent, smirking as she came to lean against the rail just in front of the motel room's door.

"Oh… uh… sorry, this must be the wrong number." The voice on the other end awkwardly choked out.

Effy furrowed her brows. She knew that voice. "Sam?"

"Effy?"

She brought her hand to her head. "Shit. Sorry, Sam. I uh… I thought it was Dean calling."

He chuckled awkwardly. "You usually answer the phone like that when he calls?"

"It's become a bit of a tradition."

"Right."

"So how can I help you, _cowboy_?" She teased in her fake Southern drawl.

She heard Sam smile as a slight breathy laugh escaped his lips. "Know anything about shtrigas?"

Not the most common creep out there, for sure. But she'd come across a couple in her time. "Thing or two." She quirked an eyebrow. "Why are you calling me?"

"I uh…" He paused for a few moments, tapping his fingers along the edge of his laptop. "I don't know." He genuinely didn't. He had thought of calling Bobby, though he knew that the grumpy old Singer wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the Winchesters. He doubted his father's other friends had much experience with shtrigas, and he knew the Bennett's travelled half the world hunting things. If anyone knew something… "I'm uh.. a bit out of practise with the whole consulting thing. Dean seems to call you a lot, so…"

"Right." She turned her head around, glancing at the room behind her. "I'm with Bobby."

"Oh."

She sighed as she turned back around, leaning over the rails once more. "We just finished a case in Cedar Rapids. He hasn't got all his books with him." She chuckled and shook her head slightly as she tapped the metal rail with her foot. "Field work makes him grumpy."

"No kidding." He raised his eyebrows. It was probably a good thing he hadn't called Bobby.

She cleared her throat. "Right, sorry. What do you want to know?"

"Well, for a start, how do you kill 'em?"

Effy sucked on her teeth and squinted her eyes as she tried to think. "If memory serves me right, iron." She sighed and tapped the rail. "You can't take out the bastard 'til he's feeding, though. They're basically invulnerable until then."

Sam rose an eyebrow as he jotted down notes. "What, so we need to catch him in the act?"

"Yeah, sure. Or…" Effy took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not to actually say what had sprung to her mind. "Or you need bait."

"What?!" He almost shrieked. He was shocked that she would even suggest such a thing.

Effy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't make the rules, Sam."

"I'm not going to use a child as bait." Sam growled.

"And I'm not telling you to." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Though, logistically speaking, you and Dean can't exactly watch the homes of every child in… wherever you are." Sam was silent, still tapping his fingers as he thought. Effy exhaled sharply and turned to glance at the motel room behind her again. "Look, I'll talk to Bobby and call back if I have anymore information, alright?"

Sam brought a hand to his head and sighed, he hadn't meant to sound so aggressive. After all, it wasn't like Effy had out rightly told him to use bait. Only… suggested it. "Yeah. Sorry."

"No worries."

They were silent for a moment before Sam wiped his face with his hand, leaning back into the chair behind him. "Thanks, Effy."

"You're welcome, _Samwise_." She teased him with the nickname she'd given him when they were just kids, and it made Sam smile. She'd barely spoken to him in Chicago, all but snubbing him as he tried to apologise for breaking their friendship years before.

"Hey, Eff-"

The phone beeped into his ear. She'd hung up. He sighed and brought his cell phone to his lips. One day, they'd talk it out. But today… today he had a job to do.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Life got a little bit hectic over the last few months but it's slowed down a fair bit now so hopefully I'll have more time to write. This was sitting half-finished in my documents for the longest time. Anyway, new season! What did you guys think of the new season premiere? Also, if you liked this chapter, leave a review - you guys have no idea how motivating it is when you leave such nice words :)


	7. bereaves us of our slow tranquilities

**seven**

* * *

The musky bar he sat in was like most Sam and Dean visited – brick walled, old furniture. Most people wore just a shirt and jeans, more casual than the bars and clubs Sam imagined most people his age would be in. He was hunched over some newspapers and his father's journal, two beers sitting in front of and he'd barely sipped one. Dean was off at the bar; he'd told some girls that he was a reality TV scout looking for people with 'special skills.' His older brother had brought him another beer not long before, effectively 'double parking' him.

As Sam read over the headline for the hundredth time, he furrowed his brows.

 _Couples throats slashed in own home_

Of course, it wasn't just monsters who could slit someone's throat. Humans were no doubt capable, but the circumstances had peaked Sam's interest. No prints, no hair, no nothing. He sighed as he gathered the papers together, bringing the already-sipped beer to his lips. It was no use reading the article over and over – they'd go by the victim's house tomorrow, use the EMF.

Sam felt the table vibrate under him, his second beer (which was far too full) almost spilling. He placed his beer down and shuffled the newspapers around until he found his phone. _Next text message_ flashed upon the small screen on the front of the flip phone, and he pried it open, curiosity peaked.

 _Dean isn't responding to my texts, safe to assume he's passed out in a ditch somewhere?_

He smiled as he caught a glimpse of the name, letting out a small chuckle. Effy had messaged him a couple of times in the four days since he'd called her. It'd only been little things – mainly Effy was updating them on their absent fathers. She was barely hearing from Paul these days either, the older Bennett much too focused on chasing down his father. He took his phone in both hands.

 _Hitting on girls at a bar. He's a reality TV scout now, haven't you heard?_

Sam set the phone down and sipped his beer, his smile bigger when his phone went off again.

 _Of course! How could I forget?_

He figured if she was texting him to get to Dean, it'd have to be kind of important. Things were still pretty awkward, at least for Sam. Like they were just ignoring the fact that they hadn't talked for two years.

 _Was it important or can it wait until the hangover?_

She'd changed. Well, of course she had. It'd been two years. Sam had changed, too. But she was braver now. Stronger. More self-assured. He wondered what had happened in the last two years for her. Why didn't she go to school? He could've sworn she hated _the life_ more than he did.

 _Not too important, no. Dad called, hasn't heard anything._

Still, Paul was chasing after his dad. Sam had heard from Dean that John said he would meet Paul and Marie near Bobby's. But John being John, he bailed before they got there. Marie left to care for her own mother, Garrett was in England, and Sera was… somewhere, hunting things no doubt. And Effy stayed behind.

 _Thanks for checking in._

He looked over to Dean as he sent the text. She talked to Dean an awful lot. They were on the phone to each other at least twice a week, not even including texting. He wondered if Effy cared about Dean in a… _different_ way now. Hell, Sam had never seen Dean even bother with keeping in touch with a girl before. Maybe Dean cared too.

 _No problem._

He put his phone down and sighed, sipping on his beer again. It was warmer; he'd taken too long to get to it. Running a hand through his hair, Sam found himself wondering if things would ever be like they used to once more. He wanted to go to law school, take his BAR exam and get a job, get a house, maybe even find a wife. Have children. He wanted _normal._ But it scared him how easily he settled in to the life, how it was like he was meant to be a hunter and nothing else.

Unexpectedly, his phone lit up and vibrated once more.

 _So if Dean's chasing tail, you must be hunched over books and brooding, right?_

Sam allowed himself to laugh.

 _I guess you could say that._

He sat in silence for a time, wondering what she was doing. He could almost perfectly envision her hunched over and researching, much like he was. Taking over research from Bobby while he lay passed out somewhere. Just as easily, though, he could see her sitting outside somewhere, looking up at the stars with a beer and a cigarette in hand.

 _You should get some rest, Samwise. I'll call in a couple days._

Sam's mouth curled into a smile at the nickname. He sighed as he gathered his things, finishing his first beer before taking the keys his brother had left him, leaving the second beer for whoever would claim it.

 _Catcha, Eff._

* * *

Effy was always surprised by the sheer amount of stars she could see in Bobby's yard. The old man had passed out hours ago, and the sun had set only two hours past. She brought a cigarette to her mouth and took a drag as she leant against one of the many totalled cars in the yard, inhaling it deeply before smoothly blowing it out of her nose. She wasn't a smoker, she was adamant about that. But sometimes… late at night she'd sneak off outside and light one up as she looked up at the stars, thinking.

She heard a whimper, smiling as she saw a dark, four-legged creature trotting towards her. She reached out and scratched behind its ear. "Hey, Rum." The dog leaned in to her hand, closing his eyes at the satisfaction he felt from the scratching behind his ear. The large dog settled at her feet, lying down beside her. She smiled fondly at him; he was a guard dog, first, but the sweet old thing loved his cuddles.

A dull tingle started in her arm. She uncrossed it from under her breasts and raised it to her eyes. She pulled the sleeve of her chambray shirt up, tracing her fingers where she felt it. It was dark, though she was sure she could see a feint white glow along her skin. She lifted the cigarette back to her mouth, taking another drag as she lowered the sleeve and pressed her arm even harder into her ribs, trying to force it to stop.

Sighing, she flicked the cigarette away. She'd tried to distract herself by texting Dean. She'd told no one about… whatever _this_ was. Whatever was happening to her. She wanted desperately to speak to her Nan, but it would be early morning there. Noelle Wilson would be passed out in her rocking chair, one last drop of port in a glass beside her.

When Dean hadn't answered, Effy texted Sam. She didn't know why. They'd messaged back and forth a couple times, though it always felt awkward and strained. She supposed it was because she needed something, _anything_ else to do other than sit by herself and look up at the stars.

* * *

 _Noelle turned, teapot in hand, pouring two-earl greys in the delicate china she'd treasured for decades. "How's university,_ ma lune _?"_

 _Effy smiled at her Nan's nickname. "It's alright." She nodded as she looked around from where she stood; a deck overlooking the sea from high above, two patio chairs beside her. "How's paradise?"_

" _Wonderful." Her grandmother smiled over her shoulder as she poured soy milk in to the teas._

 _Effy furrowed her brows as her eyes scanned the horizon. "You used to come here with Pop, didn't you?" She turned to look at her grandmother. "That's why you moved here."_

" _Yes." Noelle smiled sweetly as she walked over to her youngest grandchild, passing her a cup of tea before sitting down in her patio chair."_

" _Thanks, Nana." Effy smiled as she sat in the chair next to her grandmother, holding her tea over her knees as she leaned forward._

" _What is wrong, child?" Noelle's amber eyes looked sad as they watched the young Bennett girl. Effy had never dwelled much on why her grandmother's eyes were so unusual – they'd always made her feel at ease, comfortable. Even now, just looking in to her grandmother's eyes were calming her._

 _She sipped on her tea and her eyes trailed the horizon, eyebrows furrowing in contemplation. "I know Sera and Garrett went to uni. But…" She sighed as she looked to her feet. "They're still…"_

" _Hunters." Her grandmother finished for her. "Yes, darling." Noelle frowned as her eyes watched Effy intently, studying her, from the wisps of her brown hair down her long floral dress, to the rings on her toes, feet bare. She looked every bit the bohemian Noelle had been in her youth. "And you do not want to be?"_

 _Effy shrugged as she took another sip of the tea. "I kind of just always wanted to be normal." She shook her head. "To not have to worry about my imminent death." SO far, the last year of her life had felt the most normal it ever had. She still spoke to her family on occasion, but she hadn't worn her combat boots in ten months. Hadn't had a pistol strapped to her belt for eleven. "Get a job, have a family." She chuckled before leaning back in the chair. "It sounds so stupid…"_

" _You will live a long life." Noelle's voice was quiet, but it was no less certain.  
_

 _Furrowing her brows, Effy looked over to the older woman. "How do you know?"_

 _Noelle chuckled as she sipped her tea, pinky finger lifted. "Believe me, I know." She smiled sweetly as she lowered the tea to her lap. "Am I ever wrong?"_

 _Her grandmother had her there. "No."_

" _You are destined for great things, child."_

 _Effy snickered as she looked back to the horizon. 'Great things.' That sounded ominously like 'unusual things'. "I don't suppose great things means curing cancer or AIDS?"_

 _Noelle smiled as she set her tea on the small circular table beside them. "One day, you will know what I mean, Elizabeth."_

 _Effy shuddered at her name. "Nan." She mocked a glare at her grandmother._

 _The Wilson matriarch stood, smiling as she moved to her grandchild and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, brushing the hair out of her face. "Effy." She said in a warning tone, a sweet smile still tugging at her lips. Effy smiled at her name and brought a hand to her face, cupping her grandmothers. "Much better."_

* * *

"Supervisor Davidson." Effy lowered her voice and spoke in an American accent as she answered the phone marked 'FBI'.

"Supervisor, I'm Officer Philips calling from Sevierville, requesting confirmation that Agents Leonard and Houlihan have clearance to take over our investigation." A deep southern voice came from the other end. Effy could practically see his wide-legged stance, thumb in his belt and bloody cowboy hat.

She cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes. "I find it somewhat insulting that you think the Bureau would send agents to a town in the middle of nowhere for no good reason, Officer Philips." She paused, stifling a smile. "They have complete clearance, and I would recommend you stay out of their way and help with whatever requests they may make. Am I understood?"

"Understood, ma'am."

Effy smiled. "Wonderful." She hung up before he could respond; worried her accent hadn't been the most convincing. Honestly, she loved answering the phones when Bobby was out. It was a bit of a thrill being such a _bitch._ A woman in charge. It felt good.

It was evening; Bobby had been called out to tow a car a couple miles away, leaving Effy with the phones and the books. He'd been worried at first, when she'd wanted to work the phones a couple months back. But she'd turned out to be a better actor than even Bobby himself, and had a knack for weeding out the important information in his makeshift library.

She sighed and stood up from the desk; she doubted 'agency' calls would be made again tonight, and she'd only be gone ten minutes. She walked towards the back door, picking up her packet of cigarettes and lighter she'd hidden in the pantry before slipping outside.

It'd been nine days since she'd last been for a cigarette, when she'd texted Sam. The days just shot past so damn fast these days. Dean had texted her a couple times, telling her they were working a case in upstate New York. That Sam had met a girl. Effy smirked as she imagined the disappointment on Dean's face – he was always the proverbial 'white knight', he probably didn't enjoy not getting the girl.

Rumsfeld trotted over to her, sitting at her feet. She smiled down at him as she put a cigarette in her mouth and pulled out her zippo to light it. Effy had managed to take him for a couple of walks while she stayed at Bobby's, and damn but the dog needed it. He was used to just lying down on the bonnet of Bobby's truck, occasionally following the old man through the car yard.

Her phone vibrated from her back pocket.

 _Hey Eff, just finished a milk run in AZ. Heading East, in NE tonight. Call in the morning._

She smiled at the message. Dean was only a state over. Maybe they'd drop in for a visit? If Bobby didn't mind…

Effy felt Rumsfeld jump to his feet, dashing off into the darkness. She pushed herself off of the car, frowning as she tried to make out shapes in the blackness of the night.

"Rummy?" She hoarsely whispered, worried for the dog but also about the reason he must have dashed away.

She saw headlights flash in to view around the front of the house, the car slowly approaching the property. She flicked her cigarette away and dashed behind a pile of old tires, skirting around the side of the house and keeping to the shadows. Bobby wasn't expecting anyone. She kept creeping around, drawing her knife from her boot as she tried to get a view on the car.

A large black two door Sierra Grande, if she was correct. A car much larger than any of the 'utes' (as her mother called them) she'd seen outside of America. A car that belonged to a certain Winchester. She saw the doors open on both sides, two tall men getting out.

Effy trotted over, knife still in hand, as she surely enough saw John Winchester's face illuminated by the light that hung above Bobby's front door. She couldn't see the other man yet, but that hardly mattered to her. Rumsfeld stood growling a few meters in front of her, John's eyes locked on to the old dog.

"Didn't expect you to show your face here again." Effy smirked as she stepped out of the shadows, placing a gentle hand on Rumsfeld's head. She could barely hold the contempt out of her tone. She was still pissed; he'd dropped her off at Bobby's and promised to stay on the radar over a month ago.

John rubbed his jaw as he leant against the bonnet of his truck. "I think you'll forgive me."

The other man ran forward in to the light that just barely shone to them in the yard, a warm smile tugging at his lips as his eyes met Effy's. "Jesus Christ." Effy hissed as she ran towards him, jumping in to his arms and squeezing him so tight she thought she might never let him go. And she didn't want to.

"Hey, monkey."

She breathed in that bloody aftershave, the one he'd warn for as long as she could remember. His grey hair was slightly longer, and his dumb tortoise-shell thick rimmed glasses with the tape at the bridge were still n his face. "You could've called." She mumbled in to his canvas jacket, arms still tight around his waist.

"You know me, love. I'm all about the theatrics." He smirked down at her as she pulled away slightly to look at him.

Effy chuckled and shook her head. "No, dad. You're really not."

Paul smiled as he let go of his youngest, nodding over to John as he spoke. "We need your help, sweetheart."

John pushed himself off of his truck and stood forward. "If you're half as good at ganking vamps as you were in Mesa, we're gonna need you along for this one."

"Vampires?" Effy asked and John confirmed with a nod.

She looked back at the house, sighing. Bobby. He was still out towing a car. It'd be fine. She'd leave a note. Besides, all she'd have to say for him to get off her back is that she's with her father.

"I'll go get my stuff." She smiled before bounding off into the house, Rumsfeld following her to the door before plopping himself down on the mat, keeping his eyes on the two men.

"You should call your boys, John." Paul said as he walked towards the passenger door, John at the driver's. John sighed as he opened the door. "If I know my sons, they're already on the job."

* * *

 **A/N:** Two updates in a week?! Who am I? I've already written the next one too! This one is short, granted, but it's also just a bit of a filler and gives a liiiiittle bit more insight in to Effy's relationship with her grandmother (which is hopefully interesting! It'll play a huuuuge part in who she is and who she becomes throughout the series :) ). I also think think that John, after hearing about Elkins death, would turn around and let Paul find him because he NEEDS help to find the Colt (which he suspects Elkins might've known about at this point). Paul would be hesitant to get Effy in on it, but he trusts her enough as a competent hunter to be of assistance to them !

 **toomanyfandomssolittletime:** Thank you! I just think that ~realistically~ Effy wouldn't be with them all the time, you know? She's her own person, she has her own life and her own shit to get done. Eventually she will, of course ;) Thanks for the review!


	8. you asked me to come: it was raining

**eight**

* * *

"J.W." Sam nodded to the unopened letter in his brother's hands. "You think? John Winchester?"

"I don't know." Dean hesitated, only holding it by a corner. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what was inside. "Should we open it?"

The brothers jumped in their seats as their car windows were knocked on. Two dark figures on either side knelt over, looking in to the car.

"Dad?" Dean's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

"Effy?" Sam's expression mirrored his brother's.

John and Effy swung open the back doors, sitting down on either side. John glanced back over at his truck, triple checking that it was still there. That Paul was still ready to go at any second.

"What are you both doing here? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, we're okay." John answered for them both, Effy smiling curtly. John would have a lot more explaining to do than she would.

"Look, I read the news about Daniel. I got here as fast as I could." His voice was low and authoritative; he didn't have the time to repeat himself. "Called in some reinforcements." He nodded to Effy. She smirked and gave a snarky wave before nodding behind them. "Dad's here too. In the truck down the road."

"We saw you two at his place." John cut in.

Sam shook his head in confusion. "Why didn't you come in?" His eyes darted between his father and Effy, not quite sure whom to look at.

"You know why." John warned. He looked between both of his sons. "Because I had to make sure you weren't followed." He sighed before he elaborated. "By anyone…"

"Or anything." Effy smirked at the boys as she finished John's sentence for him.

John nodded. "Nice job covering your tracks, by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learned from the best." Dean remarked.

"Wait, so you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?" Sam shook his head as he nodded to Effy. "Why'd you bring Paul and Effy, dad?"

Effy shuffled uncomfortably as she felt his eyes on her. She'd let John do the explaining.

"Yeah. Elkins…" He started. It was obvious he wasn't quite sure what to say. "He was a good man." John sighed, and Effy saw in his eyes regret. "He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting."

Sam frowned. "You never mentioned him to us."

"We had um…" John trailed off. "We had kind of a falling out."

"A recurring theme among your contacts." Effy remarked under her breath, but she was sure she wasn't so quiet that they hadn't heard her.

"I hadn't seen him in years." John sighed, nodding to the letter that Dean held in his hands. "I should look at that."

Dean passed his father the unopened letter, the brothers and Effy watching John as he opened it.

Sam frowned. "But wait, that doesn't explain why-"

"If you're reading this, I'm already dead." John cut in. He scoffed, and some degree of relief washed over his face. "Son of a bitch."

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"He had it the whole time."

Effy scoffed, her eyes flickering from the note to John. "You're joking."

Sam's eyes studied Effy before they flickered to his father, brows still furrowed. "Dad, what?"

John put the letter down and leaned forward in his seat. "When you searched the place, did you see a gun? An antique, a colt revolver, did you see it?"

Dean stuttered as he tried to recall what exactly they'd seen in the house. "Uh… there was an old case but it was empty."

"Shit." Effy hissed. At least John had assumed correctly. Elkins had been their lead for just _information_ on where the colt was. And now they'd just have to take out some vampires to get it? Surprisingly, this would be much easier than they'd suspected. They were getting closer to yellow-eyes.

John sighed. "They have it."

"Whoever killed Elkins?" Dean asked.

"We gotta pick up the trail." John muttered as he opened the car door, calling out over his shoulder to Effy. "You ride with the boys." She nodded as he shut the car door, Sam and Dean readjusting in their seats to look at their father now outside the car.

"Wait, you want us to come with you?" Sam asked.

"If Elkins was telling the truth, we've gotta find this gun."

Sam shook his head slightly. "The gun? Why?"

John scowled at his son. "Because it's important, that's why." He wouldn't be tracking the damn thing down if it wasn't.

"Dad, we don't even know what these things _are_ yet." Sam protested.

John rested his hands on the top of the car. "They were what Daniel Elkins killed best."

"Vampires." Effy pitched in from the back seat.

Sam scoffed. "Vampires? I thought there was no such thing." He shook his head at his father. "You never even mentioned them, dad."

"They're rare, but they're still out there." John's exchanged a look with Dean.

Dean sighed, not meeting his brother's eyes. "We took out a nest in Mesa almost a year ago." He nodded his head back to Effy. "Last case Dad and I worked with the Bennetts."

"Follow us in the truck." John tapped the roof of the car before pushing himself off and jogging towards his truck down the road.

Sam looked over at his brother with wide eyes and scoffed. "You hunted _vampires_ and never thought to tell me they existed?"

Dean shrugged. "It never came up." Dean turned around and looked at Effy with the same expression Sam had flashed him. "You didn't think to tell us you were on a joy ride with our _dad?_ "

Effy smirked and shrugged. "It never came up." She shuffled in her seat to get comfortable. "Besides, we assumed you two would be down here already." She nodded to the journal in Sam's lap. "And we were right."

"What the hell, Eff?" Dean's eyes were angry. Effy could understand – she constantly texted him updates about their fathers, if she'd heard anything, and then she'd all but disappeared for the last two days. "You know I was actually worried about you? Dropping off the grid like that?"

Effy rolled her eyes. "Oh, Christ, Dean. Don't be so dramatic, it was two days." She shrugged at him. Sam just sat there watching the two, unsure if he should interrupt. He didn't understand the relationship that Dean and Effy had, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. "You barely would've noticed." She flashed a wry smile before leaning in between the two of them and flicking on the radio before pointing forward. "Might want to follow, don't want to lose them now, do we?"

Dean almost growled as he turned back to the wheel, turning the engine on and pulling out of their park to follow his father's truck.

"Here's the deal with vamps, Samwise." Effy leaned forward to look at him. "A crucifix and garlic won't do shit. Sunlight doesn't kill them _or_ make them sparkle." She smirked slightly as he looked at her with a vacant look. "There's this teen romance series about vampires… says they sparkle…"

"Anyways." She continued. "Stake to the heart won't do anything but piss 'em off."

"They do drink blood." Dean sighed, eyes on the road. "That part is true. Their bloodlust is almost insatiable. They're like hungry hungry hippos."

"Right." Effy nodded at Dean before looking back to Sam. "Only thing that'll kill them is to lop off their head."

Sam looked between the two of them, mouth slightly agape. "Well. If that's all…"

"And dead mans blood induces a temporary paralysis." Effy smiled.

"Right…" He looked toward the road and furrowed his eyebrows. "Piece of cake."

* * *

Effy groaned as her eyes fluttered open – she'd barely slept the last few days, of course something would interrupt her sleep now. Her eyes could barely focus on the two figures beyond the foot of the bed she was sprawled across, though she knew it was her father and John. She could hear the static of a radio and sighed. They'd stayed up just to listen for anything on the police radio, of course.

She felt warmth next to her and had barely realised that someone was lying next to her. Not just someone, Dean was face down and drooling on a pillow he was hugging to himself. On the other bed was Sam, lying on his side and looking more peaceful than she'd seen him in years. Well, considering the time she'd spent with him more recently was fuelled by danger and confusion, it was no wonder.

Paul rubbed his jaw as he looked over at his daughter stirring from her slumber. He nodded to John and the two of them began to gather their things. "Monkey."

"Yeah, got it." She mumbled as she pushed herself up and wiped at her eyes.

John took to his sons, tapping both of their feet to wake them. "Sam, Dean. Let's go."

Dean grumbled and lifted his head; Sam lazily pushed himself on to his elbows. "C'mon, boys." John put his coat around his shoulders.

He stuck his arms through his jacket and smoothed it out. "Picked up a police call."

Sam wiped his eyes as he tried to look at his father. "What happened?"

"A couple called 911, found a body in a street. Cops got there and everyone was missing. It's the vampires." Paul grumbled as he put his Glock in the holster at his belt.

Sam sighed as he sat up. "How do you know?"

"We know." John affirmed before the two older men made way for the door.

Sam looked over to Effy and Dean; he hadn't noticed that they'd shared a bed. He saw Effy shoot his brother a coy smile as she sat up and put on her jacket, Dean rolling his eyes, as he got his own. Sam cleared his throat as he felt Effy's eyes on him

"Vampires." He remarked. "Still can't quite believe it."

Effy passed Sam his own jacket as Dean grabbed the keys to the Impala. "Maybe it'll feel more real when you've killed one?" She smirked before following Dean out the door.

* * *

Effy's eyes followed her father and John as the duo nodded to a police officer before making their way back over to their children, all leaning against the Impala impatiently waiting for any news. Sam still wasn't quite sure what they were hunting, and Effy understood. He hadn't seen a vampire, hadn't heard of them. To him, they were just a fairy-tale. But unfortunately, most fairy tales _did_ exist. And near none of them were pleasant.

"I don't see why we couldn't go over." Sam huffed.

Dean groaned and rolled his eyes at his brother. "Don't start."

"Start what?" Sam hissed.

"I think it's a bit more convincing that two _older_ men are police, rather than the three of us." Effy felt Sam's eyes on her as she spoke, glaring slightly. "What?" She shrugged. "I'd believe it."

Dean chuckled and stood up straight as their fathers approached, Sam and Effy still bickering. "What have ya' got?"

"It's them, all right." Paul muttered as Sam and Effy stood up.

John nodded at his friend before looking at his eldest son. "Looks like they're heading west. We're gonna have to double back to get around that detour."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Sam." Dean warned.

"I just wanna know we're going in the right direction."

"We are."

"How do you know?"

John sighed and looked to Paul, the Englishman reaching in to his jacket pocket and pulling from it a tooth "We found this." He passed it to Sam, Effy and Dean already knew what it was.

"A vampire fang…" Sam pushed it around his palm, still cynical.

"They aren't fangs, Samwise. They're teeth." Effy chimed in, her head peering over by his shoulder. "Second set comes down when they're about to feed. Or attack… or…" Effy looked to her father who had a rather frustrated look on her face. She swallowed and forced a quick smile. "You get the idea."

"Any more questions?" John added as he looked at Sam. Sam swallowed and looked to the ground.

"Alright." Paul broke the silence. "Let's make a move. We're losing daylight." Paul mumbled as he walked towards John's truck, throwing the keys to the old Winchester.

"Hey Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust?" John remarked as he walked away. "I wouldn't 'ave given you the damn thing if I thought you were gonna ruin it." He called over his shoulder as he opened the door of the truck.

Sam smirked at Dean from over top of the car and Effy grinned, a laugh bubbling in her throat. He rolled his eyes at her. "Shut up."

* * *

"Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten." Dean looked over to Sam. He and Effy had taken to filling Sam in while he drove, as he was the only one who hadn't hunted a vampire before. "Smaller packs are sent out to hunt for food." He sighed.

Effy leaned forward, her head between the two seats. "Victims are taken to the nest where they keep them alive, bleeding them out for days, weeks even." She shrugged slightly as she looked at Dean. "Probably what's happened to that couple who made that 911 call."

"That's probably what Dad's thinking." Sam rolled his eyes. "Of course it'd be nice if he just _told_ us."

Dean looked his brother up and down. "So it is starting."

"What?" Sam almost hissed.

Dean let loose a slight chuckle as he rested into his seat a little more. "Sam, we've been looking for dad all year and now we're not with him for more than a couple hours and there's static already?"

"No." The younger Winchester bit back.

The two of them looked at Effy, her head still between their seats. "What? Why are you looking at me?" She tried to stifle a smirk and bite her tongue, but she couldn't help herself. "I'm not the one with the Daddy issues." Sam glared at her while Dean held back a smile, and she awkwardly nodded before slipping back in to the back seat. _Tough crowd,_ she thought to herself.

Sam sighed. "Look, I'm happy he's okay, alright?" His knuckles were turning white where her gripped the steering wheel. "And I'm happy that we're all working together."

"Good." Dean cut in.

"…But?" Effy hesitated to ask, sensing Sam hadn't quite finished what he was going to say.

Sam huffed as he shot a nervous glance to Effy before looking to his brother. "It's just the way he treats us like we're children."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay."

"He barks orders at us, Dean. Expects us just to follow them without question. He keeps us on some crap, need-to-know deal!"

"He does what he does for a reason."

"What reason?"

"Our job!" Dean almost shouted.

"There's no time to argue, no margin for error, alright?" The older brother sighed. "It's just the way the old man runs things."

Sam looked livid as his eyes flashed between the road and his brother. "Well maybe that worked when we were kids but not anymore, alright?" He growled. "Not after everything you and I have been through, Dean."

Effy felt uncomfortable, like she shouldn't be in the car while they argued about their father. And from what Sam said, there was more to it than she knew. She gripped the leather of the seat and tried to sink back in the seat, so that not even Sam could see her in the rear view mirror.

"I mean, are you telling me you're cool with just falling in to line and letting him run the whole show?" Sam asked his brother spitefully.

Dean hesitated as Sam's eyes flickered from the road to his brother. "If that's what it takes." He finally answered.

Sam looked at him with an expression of disbelief before sighing and focusing on the road entirely.

Moments passed before Effy coughed. "Uh…" She started. "I'm not exactly an expert, I mean..." She sighed before leaning forward in her seat. "We _are_ children, Sam. Hate it though we might, we will always be their kids." Sam didn't look at her as she spoke, eyes still on the road. "He's trying to protect you."

"Protect us from what?! Vampires?" Sam hissed. "Hate to break it to you, Eff, but we've hunted dangerous monsters our entire lives!"

Effy nodded, biting her lip. She was used to diffusing tension with her quick wit and wry smile, she'd never tried to _mediate_ anything before. "There's more to it than vampires…"

The way Dean and Sam's eyes snapped to her told her she had already said too much. _Shit_ she cursed under her breath.

"More to what, Effy?" Dean asked as he turned to face her.

"I shouldn't be the one to tell you." She bit the inside of her cheek.

Sam scoffed. "Of course. You know, but we don't."

"Sorry to break it to you, Samwise, but I don't exactly have a track record for diving head first into traps because of my father." She growled. The brothers looked sorry almost immediately. And she felt awful – she didn't actually blame them for getting her hurt. But she could see from the looks on their faces that they still blamed themselves for it. She sighed as she looked out the window, almost mumbling. "He'll tell you when he needs you to know."

* * *

"Yeah, dad. Alright, got it." Dean closed his flip phone and nodded to the road ahead. "Pull off the next exit."

"Why?" Sam asked, his voice low.

Dean raised his eyebrows at his brother. "Cause dad thinks we've got the vampire's trail."

"How." It wasn't a question anymore. Effy could hear the contempt in his voice.

"I don't know, he didn't say."

Sam scrunched his nose in anger before pressing on the accelerator and changing gears. Dean looked over at him with wide eyes and Effy covered her mouth. "Sam, please." She begged in a quiet voice, but whatever she said he didn't hear her.

The Impala raced ahead, overtaking the Sierra Grande. Effy could faintly see her father's face in the passenger window, his mouth opening and an expletive escaping his lips.

Sam pulled the handbrake and spun the Impala until it was horizontal in the road. Effy grit her teeth as she heard the truck brake, stopping just before her door. Sam opened the door as his passengers stared at him, bewildered. "What is up with him?!" Effy hissed as she and Dean went to open their doors. "Crap." Dean rolled his eyes. "Here we go."

"Sam!" They both called to no avail.

"What the hell was that?!" John growled as he stepped out of the truck, walking over to his son.

Effy could see now just how tall Sam had gotten; he towered over even his father. Paul jumped out of the truck and walked over too, yet Sam was still the tallest there. She practically felt like a dwarf.

"We need to talk." Sam hissed.

"About what?!"

"About everything. Where are we going, dad?" Sam shrugged, his voice an angry half-shout. "What's the big deal about this gun?! You can tell her but not your own sons?!" He nonchalantly waved a hand over to Effy, and she bit her lip where she stood. The last thing she wanted to be doing was getting involved in a Winchester family row.

"Sam, come on!" Dean shouted. "We can Q & A after we wipe out that nest."

Effy felt her father's hand on her shoulder. His concerned eyes washed over her face and she only forced a smile in response, to assure him that she was okay. A little shocked, but okay.

"Your brother's right, we don't have time for this." John rolled his eyes.

Sam shook his head. "Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous to be together. Now, out of the blue, you need our help?! No, obviously something big is going down, and we want to know what!"

John smacked his lips and nodded to the car behind his son. "Get back in the car."

"No." Sam challenged.

He took a step forward, looking up at his son threateningly. "I said get back in the damn car."

"Yeah. And I said no."

"Alright, you made your point, tough guy." Dean stood forward, hands between his father and brother. "Look, we're all tired, we can talk about this later." He grabbed Sam's jacket and pushed him back towards the car "Sammy I mean it, come on!"

Sam turned around, eyes still furious as he went to open the car door. "This is why I left in the first place." He muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" John turned back around to look at his son.

"You heard me."

He'd pushed John, now. "Yeah. You left. Your brother and me? We need you. YOU walked away, Sam. YOU walked away!"

"Stop it, both of you." Dean shouted.

"Now is not the time!" Paul called out. He raised a hand to his head and sighed as he pulled Effy in to his side. God, it'd be the infighting that'd kill them before the vampires could get near them. He didn't want to get involved, but it was doing them no good bloody standing in the middle of the road yelling like lunatics.

"You're the one who said don't come back, dad." Sam's voice was furious as tears started to well in his eyes. "You're the one who closed that door, not me!" He shouted. "You were just pissed off you couldn't control me anymore!"

John grabbed his son's jacket and Dean shot between them, hands on their chests as he tried to calm them down. "Stop it, Stop it!"

He pushed them apart and Paul stood forward, grabbing John off of his son. "Stop it! That's enough." He echoed Dean.

Dean looked at his father as Sam opened the car door, aggressively slamming it after he'd sat down. "That means you too."

John stormed off to his truck and slammed the door, leaving Dean, Effy and Paul standing in between the two. "Terrific." Dean groaned as he started to walk around the car.

"I'm gonna ride with them, now." Effy awkwardly called out to Dean. She'd had the scare of her life with the stunt Sam had just pulled. She didn't feel too safe with his driving at that particular moment in time. "Sorry, Dean."

* * *

"So they aren't afraid of the sun?" Sam asked, peering over a dirt mound with his brother and father as Effy and Paul gathered their weapons.

"It's about as bad as the sun is when you're hungover." Effy shrugged as she walked over, wiping her machete clean. "Can give 'em a bad sunburn, too." She raised the machete as Sam looked over to her. "The only way to kill them is to take off their heads."

"They sleep during the day, that much is true." Paul wiped his own machete with an old rag, polishing it. "Doesn't mean they won't wake up, though."

"So I guess walking right in isn't out best option." Sam turned around as he eyed both Bennett's, wondering why they were cleaning the machetes _now._

"Actually…" John trailed off.

"That's the plan." Dean finished for him. "It's how you take out nests; you're as good as dead at night and you can't draw enough away otherwise."

Dean walked over to the Impala and popped the boot, lifting the panel to reveal his and Sam's weapons cache. He lifted a sawed-off shotgun to hold it open as he and Sam grabbed their own machetes.

John too, pushed the back of his truck as his weapons case popped out, revealing quite the arsenal.

"Hey, dad, got a spare machete if you need one."

Effy heard steel ring as John unsheathed his own before smirking over at his son. "I think I'm good, thanks."

"So…" He sighed as he leant against his own truck. "You boys want to know about this Colt?"

Sam looked over first. "Yes, sir." He approached his father.

"It's just a story."

"A legend, more like." Paul added.

"We thought it was." John sighed as he looked to his feet. "I never really believed it until I read Daniel's letter… which is why I've never bothered looking 'til now."

Effy found a perch along a half-fallen tree and perched herself there as she listened to John recount the legend of the Colt, the gun that could _supposedly_ kill anything. Could kill yellow-eyes.

"Ever since I picked up it's trail, I've tried to find something to destroy that thing." John sighed.

"Find the gun, we might have it." Paul sheathed his machete at his belt and stood tall. "Time to roll out, folks."

The group gathered between the cars, Effy leaning against the truck next to Dean as Paul drew in the dirt with a stick. "Sam, Dean, you come around through the back." He looked up at his daughter before drawing another line. "Effy, sweetheart, you go through the window just past it, try and find that couple." He looked up at the boys and his daughter. "If you find survivors, keep 'em quiet and get 'em out."

"Paul and I will take the other side, we'll make our way through and comb through it for the Colt." John nodded to the group.

"Don't kill unless they're coming for you." Paul stood tall and hooked his thumbs through his belt. "So for the love of God, don't wake them up."

"Understood?" John asked.

His sons stood tall and nodded to him, "Yes sir."

Effy smirked as she looked at daddy's little soldiers before brushing past them. "Better keep up, kids."

They ran alongside the barn, Dean stopping at the first window and Effy running just a bit farther to the second. They looked at each other and nodded before trying to open them as Sam fell in line behind his brother. Effy growled, as he window wouldn't open. 'Locked' she mouthed over to Dean before running to his side. He nodded and the two opened the window carefully, Dean dropping down first and Effy following. Sam saw his brother's hand grab her waist as she jumped down. He couldn't help but imagine how many times the two of this had done them together.

Effy looked at him and creased her brows before waving him down, and eventually he followed. She pushed herself back up and closed the windows behind him before dropping down again, her hand finding his shoulder so she wouldn't stumble. She nodded forward and drew her machete, bringing a finger to her lips as they slowly trudged through the darkness.

The barn looked just like a barn, though there were a dozen dirty hammocks hung up and some vampires sleeping in them. Sam didn't really know what he expected, when he'd heard _vampire nest_ he'd imagined some kind of… blood orgy? But this was a lot more… _normal_.

He stepped forward carefully, Dean behind him, as the brothers trailed after the girl who lead the way. Dean was looking around the room as he followed his brother, looking for any sign of a gun.

Sam walked in to Effy as she turned around with a look of fury and panic in her eyes as a bottle rolled, the two of them looking behind to see Dean had accidentally kicked an empty beer bottle. Her knuckles went white as she gripped her machete, her eyes wild as she looked at Dean. They stood still for a few moments and Sam's heart felt like it was in his throat. After enough time, Effy mouthed 'fuck you' and turned around, moving off. Dean too mouthed an apology before looking to his feet and heading forward.

"Dean, Effy." Sam whispered. He was crouched by a woman tied to a pole. Effy turned around and her eyes widened as she stepped over, Dean following. Sam began to untie her before they heard a noise behind them. Dean nodded his head in its general direction before stepping away, trying to investigate it. He looked through a mesh fence to see a group of bound and gagged people, all almost passed out from exhaustion. He looked up to see a hook, reaching for it before bringing it down and using it to bust open the hinge.

It was by no means loud, though in the silence of the barn it could've been loud enough to wake any of them up. Dean, Sam and Effy all froze where they were and looked around, waiting a few moments before they even breathed again.

Effy crouched down and studied the woman's face. She was a little bruised, though there was blood around her mouth. Why would there be blood around her mouth? Unless… "Shit, no Sam she's-"

The woman started to stir, and Sam tried to shush her. "Hey, hey." He called out, trying to calm her. Effy lurched forward and pressed her hand over the woman's mouth, bringing her machete to her neck and swinging back before slamming it in to the wood. Blood sprayed over her face, some on to Sam as slowly, the woman's head toppled to the ground.

Sam's eyes were wide as he looked at Effy. "She was-"

A shriek sounded throughout the barn, so loud that Effy could feel it in her bones. She looked over to see vampires stirring, having watched her decapitate one of their own. "Oh, for fucks-" Effy grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him up.

"Run!" Paul yelled as glass shattered.

Effy dragged Sam forward, Dean following, as they all sprinted back to the window. She pushed Sam up towards it but he hesitated. Dean jumped up behind him, standing up on the hay bale before jumping through the window and in to the light outside. Sam followed but hesitated before jumping out, seeing Effy covering their escape. Two vampires rushed in after them and Effy swung her machete at one, it's head dropping to the ground just as that woman's had before. Before the other could lurch at her she jumped in to the light, eyes quickly finding Sam's. He extended his arm and she jumped and took it, he pulled her up with all of his strength before jumping out the window with her, following Dean back to the cars.

Sam pushed the branches of the trees aside as he pulled Effy behind him, only letting go as they broke in to the clearing.

"Dad?" Effy called out, machete still tight in her grip. "John?!"

A few moments later, the older men ran through the trees where they'd just emerged from, panting heavily.

"Dad!" Effy almost jumped over to him, head hand finding his face. Half of it was bloodied, though it was only a small cut over his eyebrow that bled.

"They won't follow." John looked between his sons. "They'll wait until tonight. Once a vampire gets your scent, it's for life."

"So what do we do now, Dad?" Sam looked to his father and wiped his hair out of his eyes.

John's face was solemn as he looked to his taller son. "You gotta find the nearest funeral home, that's what."

The brothers frowned at their father; somewhat shocked he would say such a thing. "Oh, no. No, guys, he literally means we need to go to the nearest funeral home." Effy chuckled as she walked up to them, wiping her the blood from her father's face on the back of her dark jeans. "Dead man's blood? Christ, Dean how many times have you bloody hunted vampires?"

* * *

"Two around the back, I spotted a couple more walking around the rooms." Paul nodded to the building as he jogged back over to Dean and Effy. "I figured out their pattern; one out back is going to swap out soon, which means we'll have a fifteen minute gap before another comes in." He looked to Effy. "Work your magic on the guy who's alone, slip in, drain some corpses and slip out."

Dean raised his eyebrows and chuckled slightly. "You make it sound so easy."

Effy nudged Dean slightly in his ribs. "Don't act like it isn't."

"Dean, you watch Effy's back from the inside. I'll keep watch from out here, I'll warn you if anything happens."

"How will you warn us?" Dean asked, but it was too late. Paul was already trotting off to circle back to the vantage point he'd scouted from earlier, leaving him with Effy. "I'll know." She smiled up at him. Dean looked down at her with an uneasy smile before his eyes wandered off after her father. "Some kind of psychic-"

He looked down again to see Effy had slipped away. There wasn't a trace of her – not a glimpse of an elbow or leg, not the rustling of leaves or breaking of twigs. He circled around the bush they'd hidden behind to see the man alone. The girl was barking mad! How would she –

And as soon as Dean had started doubting her, Effy appeared on the roof behind the man. He could see that damn smirk on her face as she pounced, landing on the man's shoulders and knocking his head around. His body collapsed as she jumped off, landing safely on her feet. She looked over to Dean from behind the bush and smiled, waving him over before running inside.

Dean followed, flabbergasted as he looked at the unconscious man by the door.

"Where the hell did you learn to do that, Eff?" Dean asked in a whisper, wide-eyed as he followed her through the funeral home.

Effy smirked over her shoulder. "You say that like I haven't been doing it for very long." She lead him through the funeral home, pushing open the cold room door. "It's not often I just have to knock a guy out rather than take off his head."

She pulled out needles and tubes from the knapsack she'd slung over her shoulders as Dean took to the door.

"How are you gonna get their blood, anyway? Doesn't it all just clot up?" He leant against the door. "Rigor mortis and shit?"

Effy rolled her eyes as she pulled two bottles from the bag, setting them aside as she went for the freshest bodies; the bodies that weren't yet filed away. "You go for the fresh ones." She set her tools on a cart nearby before pressing her bare hands against the legs of the body before her, beginning to massage it. "You loosen 'em up a bit, pop a needle in and you're good to go."

Dean shuddered as he looked over at her. "Gross."

"You're more than welcome to take over." She remarked as her hands moved to the stomach.

"Pass."

She kept massaging before finally taking a needle and placing it in the vein on the inside of the body's elbow, attaching a tube to the end and lowering the arm from the table to get the blood flowing faster. She put the other end of the tube in a bottle and moved the cart over to the next table. "Someone's been working late, otherwise these bodies wouldn't be out here like this." She mumbled. "We might not have as much time as we thought."

"Great."

Effy repeated the procedure on the other body, sighing as she finished and stood. She leant against a bench to the side of the room as she watched the blood drip down. She estimated it would take only five minutes to fill those bottles up. And all they needed was enough to coat a weapon with.

"So…" Dean spoke up, trying to break the silence. "Sorry about the family drama."

Effy chuckled and waved him off. "Been there, done that." She shrugged as she bent over to check the first bottle, standing up to massage the body slightly more. "Besides, if it wasn't going to be John and Sam, it would've been Sam and I."

"You think?" Dean asked.

She shrugged. "We had a huge blow-out, didn't speak for two and a half years, and haven't talked about it and pretended that it never happened. We're bound to have it out, sooner or later."

Dean rubbed his jaw as he looked over at her. He'd seen Sam smiling as he texted someone a couple of times. It'd taken him a few days to find out whom, but he eventually saw the screen of Sam's phone when he'd gone to use the toilet at a gas station. "I know you guys have been talking a little."

"Exactly. A little." She repeated him as she checked the other bottle. "Small talk."

"There are bigger things than mine and Sam's little spat." She pulled the first body's arm up and took the needle and tube, wrapping it in a plastic bag she'd brought. She bottled the blood and put it in her knapsack before moving over to the second body.

Effy raised her head and frowned. "Something's wrong."

Dean raised his eyebrows at her and poked his head out the door, looking around. "What? How do you know?"

"Dad just warned us." She almost whispered as she took the needle and tube out of the second body, wiping the vein slightly before throwing everything in her bag, shoving a cork in the bottle and running to the door. "Can't you tell?"

"What? How?"

Effy rolled her eyes and stepped out into the hallway. "We can't go back the way we came."

"Effy, how do you-"

She turned around and growled at him to keep quiet before going to the end of the hallway they hadn't yet been done, creeping through silently. Dean was still wrapping his head around the fact that they'd even been warned.

"What was the warning?" Dean asked in a gravelly whisper, gun held tight in his hands as he followed the much shorter girl with the dead man's blood. Effy spun around on her heels and slapped a hand over his mouth, pushing him through a door behind him that he hadn't even realised was there. She closed the door quietly and locked it, looking around until her eyes landed on a window.

"What the-" Dean frowned before he heard murmuring, light from torches flickering about the hallway. "Give me a boost." Effy whispered as she tried to jump to the window to no avail.

He complied and marched over to her, gripping his hands together before she reached up and pushed the window open, sliding through easily. Dean jumped up and grabbed the windowsill, Effy turning around to help pull him through. He pushed the window closed behind him before the two of them ran off back toward the cars.

"What the hell was that?!"

"That was a heist, sweetcheeks." Effy laughed over her shoulder as they jogged. "It's how we Bennett's do it."

* * *

Dean walked into the hotel room first, running a hand through his hair as he held the door open for Effy and Paul. "Heavy security just to defend a bunch of dead guys." He mumbled as they came into the room.

"Did you get it?" John asked.

Effy pulled two paper bag-wrapped bottles from her knapsack, smirk on her face as she held the bottles up to Sam and John. "Dead mans blood, by the bottle." She quipped.

John smiled proudly as he took the bottle off of her, nodding to the rest of the group. "We know what to do."

* * *

A woman with eyes blackened by coats of mascara and eyeliner approached Dean, clad in denim and an obscure rock band's shirt from a couple decades past. Effy shuffled where she stood, her father's bow in her hands and arrow drawn, ready to cover Dean. Sam stood by her, crossbow trained on the woman as well.

"Didn't know you used a bow." Sam whispered.

"You grow up posh in England, you do archery." She quipped. "And polo. And croquet. And lacrosse…. You get the idea."

Sam smirked slightly, keeping his eyes on the woman ahead. "Not because you're a prodigal hunter?"

Effy shrugged her shoulders softly, her eyes never leaving Dean. "Well, that might have _some_ part in it, I suppose."

They quieted as she smacked Dean across the head, the smug Winchester falling to the ground and no doubt biting back with a scathing remark. Sam raised his crossbow slightly higher before Effy growled at him.

"Hold it."

He looked to her with bewildered eyes before understanding – another, larger vampire appeared through the brush. Effy nodded at him, gesturing that she'd take him out. The woman picked Dean up by his jaw, planting a sickening kiss on his lips before Effy nodded. "Now."

They let loose their arrow and bolt, both hitting the vamp's square in the chest. The woman dropped Dean and Effy saw their fathers rush out of the brush, machetes in hand. She pushed Sam forward, the two jogging out to meet the others.

"Barely even stings." The female vampire smirked as Effy appeared, bow in hand. "It will in a minute, sweetheart." She smirked as Paul walked over behind the male, machete gripped tightly. The woman almost feinted, falling before Dean caught her. John stepped forward to Dean and nodded towards where they'd parked the truck. "Take care of that one." He met eyes with Paul.

Paul didn't need to be told twice.

Effy took Sam by the wrist and pulled at him, urging him to follow her. He hesitated before locking eyes with Paul, the old Englishman nodding towards his daughter.

Paul brought his machete down hard, blood spraying over his coat.

"Good aim there, Samwise." Effy remarked as she led him through the dry branches, late summer leaves crunching under her boots. "You too."

They walked in silence. Sam was still wrapping his head around the whole vampire thing. And the working a case with his father _and_ the Bennett's thing. And the magical gun that can kill _anything_ thing. It was just a whole lot of stuff to process. He hadn't been alone with Effy since Chicago, when they'd both called their parents while Dean went off to get the car ready. He felt tension when they were alone, and it wasn't just on her end. It was just so damn strange to be around her again, after pretending the other didn't exist for such a long time.

"I'm sorry." Sam's voice was quiet, but he was sure Effy heard. She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn to face him.

"What for?" Her usual snarky tone was gone. It was almost monotonous in how she said it.

"For the last time we saw each other." He frowned slightly as he watched her. "And the time before that."

Effy turned around and studied his face, slinging her bow over her torso.

"I said some things. _Awful_ things." He sighed. "Things that I can't take back. But I'm really sorry."

"You aren't the only one who has a frightful bark." She almost smiled as she looked at him, but her eyes fell to the ground. "Now isn't the time." She sighed as Paul came up behind Sam. She put on a smile before nodding over to the trucks, now visible from where they stood. "Shall we?"

As they walked to the truck Effy could smell dead animal. She knew better though – John's concoction of saffron, skunk's cabbage and trillium. It worked a treat, and it'd saved their asses on a couple of hunts.

"Dust your clothes with the ashes when it's burnt out, you'll stand a chance of not being detected." John spoke to Dean but also to the three who had just arrived. They'd tied the female vampire to a tree; she seemed to be dozing in and out of consciousness.

"You sure they'll come after her?" Sam asked his father, unsure if any of this would really work.

Paul looked over to the vamp. "Vampires mate for life. She's worth a hell of a lot more to their leader than the gun." He answered for John.

"Blood sickness will wear off soon, you don't got a lot of time." John looked over to Effy as she pulled out another bottle of the blood, smiling at him. "It should only take half an hour. But, just in case." She waved the bottle, throwing it to Dean.

"You get that done, then you kids get out of the area as fast as possible, you hear me?" John's eyes met each of his sons and Effy. Paul nodded to his daughter as he wiped the blood off of his machete.

"But-" Sam tried to get in a word in, but Dean interrupted him.

"Woah, Dad. You two can't take care of them all by yourselves."

"We know what we're doing." John affirmed. "We have her, and we'll have the Colt."

"But after… we're gonna meet up, right?" Sam asked. Effy only had to look at John to see that wasn't his plan. She rolled her eyes. Of course, he'd bring her to the middle of bloody nowhere and leave her with the two stooges.

"Use the gun… together? Right?" Sam asked.

John wouldn't meet his son's eyes.

"Oh for crying out loud." Effy spat, walking between the two of them. "You would leave us? _Again?"_ She jabbed a finger at John's chest. "I tried to understand, tried to rationalise it. Hell, I even tried to _defend_ you earlier before Sam's little hissy-fit. But _seriously_?" She looked to her father and approached him, fire in her eyes. "I get that from him, dad, but you? Don't you understand?! We're stronger together!"

"You're treating us like children." Sam added, surprisingly keeping his cool where Effy hadn't.

"You _are_ our children." Paul stood forward, staring the three of them down.

John sighed. "We're trying to keep you safe."

"With all due respect, _dad._ That's a bunch of crap." Dean added. Sam looked over at his brother; somewhat shocked that daddy's little soldier would speak up against him.

"Excuse me?" John challenged.

"You know what Sam and I have been hunting. Even Effy's been out hunting with Bobby." He kept his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he shrugged. "Hell, you've sent us on a few hunting trips yourself! You can't be that worried about keeping us safe."

"It's not the same thing, Dean."

Dean scoffed. "Then what is it? Why do you want us out of the big fight?"

"You've barely even let dad help." Effy mumbled.

"This demon? It's a bad son of a bitch. I can't make the same moves when I'm worried about keeping you alive."

"You mean you can't be as reckless."

John sighed. "Look. I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece." "Your mother's death… it almost killed me." Effy swallowed. She felt like she'd pushed John too far, that she'd got herself in the middle of a bloody Winchester family argument. "I can't watch my children die too." John swallowed thickly. "I won't." He resolved.

"What happens if you die?" Dean took another step forward. "Dad, what happens if you die and we could've done something about it?" He nodded to his brother. "You know, I've been thinking. I'm thinking maybe Sammy's right about this one. I think we should do this together." Sam looked to Dean, surprised that he'd agree with him. "We're stronger as a family, dad, we just are. You know it." Dean gestured to Effy and Paul. "We have the Bennett's. Paul, Effy, Sera and Garrett."

"We're running out of time." John stood taller, looking between his sons. "You do your job, and you get out of the area. That's an order." He glared between the two before walking towards the vamp, ready to untie her and get her into the truck.

Paul sheathed his machete and followed his comrade. "Goes for you too." He spoke to Effy.

Sam and Dean looked between each other, equally disappointed. They looked down at Effy as she scrunched her nose.

She turned around and saw her bags sitting by the Impala. "Horseshit." She spat before trudging over to the car, machete in hand.

* * *

The barn was colder at night, the mist that had swelled up outside had slowly crept in to the old farmhouse. Effy stepped quietly, machete in hand as she followed Dean. One of the vamp's who'd stayed behind was walking towards the front door slowly, bottle of Southern Comfort in hand. Dean nodded to him and to the cage, signalling he'd take out the vamp and she'd free the human blood-bags. She nodded, understanding him before peeling off and creeping towards the cage. From her pocket she pulled her lock pick and pocket knife, kneeling as she approached the lock and began to pick it.

She heard what she assumed was a head drop to the floor, and in seconds Dean was beside her again. "Told you we'd come back." He breathed as the lock clicked open, Effy throwing it to the side as Dean flung the door open. "Call 911, they'll be able to get these people out faster than we can." Effy nodded to Dean before turning around, eyes keenly investigating the rest of the barn.

Sam ran towards them, jacket sprayed in blood. "There was one more out back"

Effy raised her eyebrows. Sam's first vampire kill. The first was always the hardest.

"So we make the call and skip?" Dean asked as he began to cut the duct-tape bindings of the prisoners.

"If only two were here that means there's at least seven meeting our dad's on the road." Effy frowned as she helped a woman stand, moving her toward the hammocks. "I don't know about you two numpties, but if the Colt is really as important as they've made out to be, they're gonna need help out there." She pulled out her phone and dialled 911.

"Excuse me? Ma'am? Oh, god, I just found this old barn with people inside all gagged and bound, and two bodies with no heads! Please, send help!" She put on her best American accent and tried to sound as frantic as she imagined a normal person would if they'd happened upon the scene. "My name?! Yeah it's-" She flipped her phone closed and Sam nodded at her. He passed his crossbow to Dean, and Effy ran her fingers along the bow still slung over her shoulders.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Christ." Effy spat as she nocked an arrow, firing almost instantaneously. The arrow burst through one of their chests, nocking another one as fast as she could. A crossbow bolt flew past her head, hitting the vamp closest to the one she'd taken out. She looked back to see Dean getting his next bolt ready.

As she loosed another one, Sam sprinted past her with his machete in hand. From what Effy could see, John was knocked out on the ground and Paul was beside him, clutching at his side.

Effy followed him, decapitating the first vamp she'd shot at as she jumped in to the clearing. She looked over to see Sam knocked on his arse. She lurched forward, striking at the leader before he grabbed her wrist and spun her around, forcing her to drop the machete. He had a tight grip at her throat, and she barely managed to open her eyes to see Dean crouched down before them, machete in hand.

"Drop it, or I'll break her neck."

Sam pushed himself up, eyes widened as he realised what had happened. Effy struggled to breathe, clawing at his arm and trying to stomp on to his feet. "Put it down." The vampire warned Dean. Hesitantly, he complied, dropping the machete to his feet. Sam slowly moved next to his brother, worried that if he moved too fast the vamp would break Effy's neck and be done with it.

"You people." He snarled. "Why can't you just leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do!"

"I don't think so." Paul growled from behind them. The vampire spun, dragging Effy with him as Paul raised the Colt. He fired, the vampire dropped Effy from his grasp. Effy fell, Sam and Dean rushing to her and dragging her away from the vampire. Dean held an arm around her, holding her tightly as they watched the leader.

And there they all stood – hunter and remaining vampires alike, watching, waiting to see if the Colt could truly kill a vampire.

The leader fell to his knees, the vampire they'd captured earlier, his mate, screamed his name, being held back by another. A flash of white light came from his forehead, and with that he fell to the ground. "Shit…" Effy choked out, hands on her throat as she tried to steady her breathing. She met eyes with her father, and relief washed over him as he saw his daughter was okay. It took him a moment to even realise that the gun he was holding was indeed the gun of legend.

The mate lurched forward but was restrained by the other, warning her that she'd end up just the same. She dragged her away, the two glaring as they got in their car and sped away.

John allowed himself a smile as he looked to Paul and then his sons and Effy. They had it.

* * *

Effy stood between Sam and Dean in the motel room as they packed. They'd agreed that she'd tag along with them for a little while, all three of them unsure of what plans their fathers had together. As much was obvious – if they were going to have a part to play in the showdown with the demon that'd killed their family, they'd have to force their way in.

She turned her head as she saw the door open, John and Paul walking in. They looked much more relaxed, in clean clothes and with the blood wiped from their faces.

"So, kids." John started as he entered approached the three, Paul quiet and stoic as ever as he crossed his arms and leant against the door.

"Yes, sir." Sam looked to his father, sounding every bit his father's soldier as Dean did.

"You ignored a direct order back there."

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir."

"To be fair, it was a pretty dumb order." Effy grumbled.

"We saved your asses." Dean agreed. Sam's eyes flickered to his brother, shocked that he of all people would be challenging his father. Dean swallowed as John stared him down and Effy crossed her arms. John's eyes flickered between his son and the girl who was like the daughter he'd never had. "You're right." He agreed.

"I am?" Dean looked confused, expecting to get a bollocking from his father.

"Don't get us wrong, that scares the shit out of us." Paul chimed in as he pushed himself from the doorway, moving to walk over to John and the kids. "You kids are our lives." He sighed as he moved towards Effy, running a hand over his daughter's hair before pulling her to his chest.

"We're stronger together." John's eyes looked glassy as he looked over to Paul. "As a family."

"And you're damn right, we're family." Paul smiled. "The posh, classy side of the family."

"So, we go after this thing together."

"Yes, sir." Dean and Sam spoke together, smiling proudly as they met eyes with their father.

"I'm calling Sera and Garrett in the morning and getting them on the first flights over here." Paul nodded to John.

"Twenty two years in the making." John added.

"Let's go get the bastard."

* * *

 **A/N:** Three updates in one week!? WHAT? So there's the longest chapter yet - I really enjoyed writing this chapter and the Dean/Effy time (I love their relationship! And how confused he was at the funeral home) and it makes me all warm and fuzzy thinking about the Winchesters having more _family_ and being accepted by the Bennett's and just AW I love them. I hope you guys enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think :)

 **pennybear37:** Thank you for the review! I have a fair bit in store so only time will tell! We'll see a bit more about Effy's tingling arms in the next chapter, but it'll still be awhile before we figure out exactly what it is. :)


	9. a wind has blown the rain away

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long - life got pretty hectic over the last few months. The worst part is, I've had this all written up for you guys since October! It took me about ten minutes to finish it today. This is a bit of a long filler chapter, but I hope you all enjoy nonetheless! :)

* * *

 **nine**

* * *

John gestured around him, to the notes he'd laid out on the small desk in the motel room, to the makeshift case map he'd made on the wall. He'd opened his laptop, pulling up files as well as his journal, which Dean had made a point of giving back to him. "So this is it. This is everything I know."

Paul nodded from where he stood, arms crossed as his eyes glazed over the set up John had made. "Garrett has saved most of our research to his hard drive, he's flying in to Boulder along with Sera in six hours."

"I'll pick them up." Dean spun his keys around on his finger and shot Paul a quick smile.

Effy pushed herself up from the bed and stuck her hands in her pockets. "I'll come with you." Dean smiled down at her and nodded.

Paul bowed his head, his face as stoic as ever as he leant over the desk John sat behind his laptop at. "Anyway, John and I have spent the better part of two decades hunting down this demon with no luck. Nothing, not a trace."

"Until about a year ago." John added. "For the first time I picked up a trail."

Dean thought for a moment. A year ago had been when he'd disappeared, not long after Mesa. "That's when you took off."

"Yeah." John nodded. "That's right. The demon must've come out of hiding or hibernation." From his tone it was obvious that even John didn't know why, fumbling for some kind of explanation as to why after twenty-one years, the demon had chosen to show itself now.

"Alright, so what's this trail you found?" Dean asked, moving to look at the map on the wall.

"Starts in Arizona." John pointed, fingers tracing the circle he'd made in red ink. "Then New Jersey, California. Houses burned down to the ground." He looked back with sad eyes at Sam, who was leant against the chest of drawers by the window. "It's going after families. Just like it went after us."

"And us." Paul gruffly added.

"Families with infants?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. The night of the kid's six month birthday."

"Does that mean…" Effy looked at Sam and pointed between the two of them. "We were six months old?"

"Exactly six months." Paul confirmed as he nodded at his daughter. Sam looked to his father, getting the same confirmation from a sad bow of his head. Effy raised a hand to her mouth as she realised. The demon had come for _her._ When she was staying at her grandmother's house in Cambridge. Her grandmother had been caught in the fire, and she'd survived.

"So basically this demon is going after these kids for some reason." Sam shook his head and scoffed. "The same way it came for me?" John only nodded at his son.

"So… mom's death." Sam almost spat as his eyes welled up. "Jessica? It's all because of me?"

"We don't know that Sam-" Dean tried to reason

"Oh really? Cause I'd say we're pretty damn sure, Dean." Sam's tone was harsh as he raised his voice.

Dean rolled his eyes and grit his teeth, frustrated that after all this time Sam still shouldered the blame for his mother's death. "For the last time, what happened to them is not your fault."

"Yeah you're right, it's not my fault but it's my problem!"

"No, it's not _your_ problem it's our problem!" Dean snapped at his brother.

Calmly, John stood up from his seat and raised his hands to his sons, urging them to calm down. "Okay, that's enough."

They breathed for a moment, Dean turning his back to his brother as he walked towards the map and rubbed his jaw, Sam leaning back on the chest of drawers, gripping it tightly. Effy didn't know who this _Jessica_ was, but clearly she'd died much the same as the others. She shook her head as she looked between her father and John. "So why is it doing it? What does it want?" She kept her hand at her mouth and crossed her other under her breast.

John sighed and put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, trying to get her to look up into his eyes. "Look, I wish we had more answers, but we don't." "I've always been one step behind it." He dropped his hand sadly and looked back to the map behind him. "I've never gotten there in time to save…" John trailed off, but they knew what he meant. He'd never saved any of them.

"So how do we find it? Before it hits again?" Dean asked.

"There's signs. Look, it took me awhile to see a pattern but in the days before these fires signs crop up in an area. Cattle deaths, temperature fluctuations, electrical storms. Then I went back and checked and…" John shuffled through notes as Dean came beside him, watching his father.

"These things happened in Lawrence?"

John looked at his son and nodded, averting his eyes back down to the notes he tried to gather together. "A week before your mother died."

"And in Cambridge." Paul added. "Before my mother."

"And in Palo Alto." John's eyes met Sam's. "Before Jessica." Sam's eyes looked glassy as he pursed his lips, looking away from his father. "And these signs, they're starting again."

"Where?" Effy asked quietly. "And why is it just in America? It came for us in England…"

Paul sighed as he looked over at his daughter. "I've looked in to it in England, there were three other fires." He rubbed his jaw and met eyes with John. "We haven't had the time to look into it more in other countries."

"What matters is that it's left a trail here." John turned around and drew a red circle, pinpointing the location on the map. "Salvation, Iowa."

"Alright." Dean nodded. "Well, that's a long ass drive."

Effy bit her cheek. "You three should get going now, we'll wait for Sera and Garrett and join you in the morning." She agreed. It made sense, no point all of them waiting it out, lest they be too late again.

"No, I'm staying with you." Sam stepped forward. Dean sighed before conceding. "Alright."

* * *

Tacky pop music played through the dull speakers in the gas station as the attendant nonchalantly flicked through a gossip magazine and blew bubbles with her gum, the loud chewing noise making Effy almost gag. They'd stopped off on the way to the airport, Sam was absolutely busting for the toilet and they still had time to kill before they picked up her siblings. She huffed as she ran her fingers along the magazines absentmindedly, thinking about the last time she'd seen Sera. God, she was pissed. She'd hardly even spoken to Effy in the months since, but that was how Sera worked. She always took her time to cool off.

Dean was slightly hesitant to see Sera too, let alone spend twelve hours in a car with her. They'd had a thing in the past. Well, it was the longest relationship of his life so far, and it'd ended badly. As most 'things' Dean had did. It was easy being around her when their parents were there, she wouldn't dare say anything around her father. But… maybe that'd change with them not around. He managed to find the skittles and picked up a packet as well as m&m's for the road, waving the bags over at Effy to get her attention.

She snapped back to reality and smiled as she walked to the fridge, taking a couple of litres of water out. "Do you think they have bananas?"

Dean scoffed. "Bananas? Really, Eff? All this candy and you want bananas?"

"They're _lollies_ , not candy." She called over her shoulder before moving to the crisps, grabbing Garrett's favourite flavour. "And refined sugar is the downfall of modern society, I'm telling you."

"What, you a hippy now or something?" He smirked as he grabbed a couple packets for himself. "Refined sugar brings everyone together." Effy scrunched her nose and made a face at him as they approached the counter. She spotted a box of sad looking fruit by the counter and smiled, putting the water on the counter with Dean before going back to grab it.

"How much?" She asked, happy that she'd at least found _some_ decent food.

The woman behind the counter looked her up and down as she chewed her gum. Effy saw Dean's eyes trail to the woman's cleavage, and she rolled her eyes at him before looking back. "Five dollars for the box."

Effy smiled and nodded. "Sold."

"You seriously want that whole box?" Dean asked after he managed to peel his eyes away from the attendant's breasts for long enough to string together a sentence.

Effy rubbed her stomach as she pulled a tenner from her back pocket and passed it over the counter. "I'm a growing girl."

"Lard-ass." Dean smirked as Effy put the waters and Garrett's crisps in the box.

"Ironically you're the one paying for lard." She stuck her tongue out at him as he paid for his own items, making her way out of the shop and back to the Impala. Dean followed her out, bags of candy and crisps in either fist.

"So." Effy asked as she came to the boot of the Impala, waiting as Dean unlocked the car. "Who's Jessica?"

Dean looked over at her as he unlocked the car and sighed before popping the boot. He placed his bags over in the front seat before trotting over. "Jessica…" He took the box off of Effy and placed it inside. "She was Sam's girlfriend."

"Was?" Effy asked without really thinking. She bit her tongue as Dean hesitated to respond before closing the boot and leaning against it. Her name was brought up along with her grandmother and Sam and Dean's mother. It didn't take a detective to piece it all together. "She was killed in a fire about a year ago." He swallowed before meeting Effy's eyes. "Same way mom and your grandmother went."

Effy's mouth opened slightly as she thought. She remembered calling Dean when he was in California; he said he was driving Sam home before heading out to Colorado. But then, hours later, he'd texted her saying Sam was going with him. She was shocked enough Sam had joined him on one hunt, let alone that he was picking up hunting again.

"That's why he started hunting again." Effy said in a quiet voice. She felt bad for bringing it up, and was silently thankful she hadn't just out rightly asked Sam about it. "Guy can't catch a break." She ran a hand through her hair as she thought of how cold she'd been with him, how she'd tried to brush off his attempts to talk things out.

"Yeah. Well." Dean pushed himself off the car. "I'm gonna go to the little boy's room before we head out. Take care of my baby." He winked half-heartedly as he threw her the keys before trotting off towards the bathroom. As he left, he walked past Sam, who was now making his way back to the car. Effy's eyes darted back to the car as she went to the boot again, going through the fruit box to pick out something to eat in the next couple of hours.

"How much candy did he get this time?" Sam smiled as he approached Effy. She didn't look up at him as he approached.

"Well, don't blame me if he gets diabetes." She smirked as she grabbed a bunch of spotty-looking bananas. Perfectly ripe.

Sam rolled his eyes, "God, I _hate_ candy. Always leaves me with a sore stomach." He nodded to the box she was reaching out from in the boot. "What have you got there?"

"Oh, just some unloved fruit. I wanted some real food, you know?" She smiled as he reached in to the box, picking up the fruits and inspecting them.

"How much for all of this?" He asked.

She smiled up at him proudly. "Five dollars."

He flashed his pearly whites and nodded, impressed. "Good job. I might have to steal some though, if that's alright."

"Sure." She smiled.

She tried to push the sympathy she had for him at the recent revelation of his dead girlfriend to the back of her mind as she smiled up at him and raised the bunch of bananas she had in her hand. "Banana?"

He smiled and took two. "Thanks, Effy."

His smile was infectious, and he was _actually_ smiling. Sam's smile was a big smile, his eyes crinkling and a slight familiar sparkle shone to them. She hadn't seen him properly smile in _years_. It made even Effy smile. She wondered how often he'd smiled in the last year. _Not enough._

"Hey, Sam?" She felt bolder than she had when Sam had tried to talk to her before. It was ridiculous, really. They hunted _monsters_ for a living and she couldn't talk about her _feelings._ The guilt of shutting him down tugged at her – she'd felt bad before, but now… knowing that she'd kicked him while he was down didn't sit right with her.

He smiled as he peeled a banana. "What's up?"

Her smile faded as she tried to meet his eyes. "I'm really sorry." She shook her head. "I'm sorry about being so weird." She looked to her feet for a moment before looking back up at him, straining her neck slightly. "It is weird, though. Seeing you, working jobs with you."

Sam's smile faded and they stood in silence. Effy breathed in deeply before attempting to explain herself. "I spent a lot of time being angry at you. Like, a lot of time. The first six weeks of uni I basically locked myself in my room every night and sulked while my friends tried to get me to _do_ something."

His face lit up slightly. "You went to school?"

Effy's eyes snapped back to his. "What?" It took her a quarter of a second to register his words, her brows creasing just as fast. "Yes, shut up I'm trying to say something here." She shook her head, dismissing him before she lost her train of thought and had to attempt this whole sappy speech _again_.

"I was so angry at you for leaving because I was jealous. I was jealous that you were twenty and you had the whole damn world in the palm of your hands." She looked back to the fruit box, trying to find something to look at that wasn't Sam. The way he looked in to her eyes almost threatened to distract her from her thoughts.

"I mean, I'm a legacy, right? My family, all they've done for generations is save people and hunt things. So… I've never really felt like I had a choice." She swallowed thickly before continuing. "You were my best friend, you were always around when I was pissed off with my family. Hell, Samwise, some of my best memories are with you." She felt a stinging behind her eyes and tried to swallow tears back, standing slightly taller as she finally met his eyes with hers. "I was jealous… and I was pissed off you were leaving me. So… I'm sorry."

"Effy…" Sam sighed.

She held up her hand in protest. "No, that's it, that's all I wanted to say."

"But Eff-"

Effy shook her head. "We aren't going to have a sappy Lifetime movie-"

Sam grabbed her hand. "Oh my God, Effy, just stop." He chuckled as he let her hand go, she slowly lowered it as she watched him carefully. "I let you have your say, you let me have mine."

He still held the peeled banana in one hand, and Effy found it distracting her somewhat. It was just the slightest bit harder trying to take him seriously while he held it. "I'm sorry that I left things like that. I said some really bad things in the heat of the moment that I can't take back. I was too stubborn to try to fix things or admit I was wrong…"

Effy sighed. "So was I."

"Not the point." He interrupted. "I'm sorry for leaving." He smiled again as he tried to pull a memory from the back of his mind. "You remember like five years ago we were planning to run away and finish school, go to college and live normal lives?"

"Yeah. I believe I also almost single-handedly planned the grand heist of the Impala." Effy proudly smirked.

"I don't think dad would've been too impressed."

"Forget John, can you imagine Dean's face?" They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Look at us now." Effy said through her laughter.

"Tell me about it." Sam smiled. They stood in silence for a moment before Effy dashed forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, gripping him tightly. He hesitated for a moment, but smiled as the shock left him, lowering his arms and holding her, albeit making sure to keep the banana from touching her.

"I missed you too." She mumbled in to his chest. He recalled then the first thing he'd said to her when they'd seen each other for the first time in two years back in Chicago. How _relieved_ he was just to see her standing there in that old dusty apartment, _her_ of all people.

Dean chuckled as he approached them, hands in his pockets. "Woah, am I interrupting something, or are we all ready to go get Grumpy and Dopey?"

Effy smiled as she let go of Sam and closed the boot of the car. Sam smirked and took a bite of his banana before walking past her to get to the passenger door. "Let's go."

* * *

"Look, I'm not saying that it'd be really, _really_ funny if Sera sat in the front with Dean for the entire trip." Effy smirked up at Sam as she passed him her water. "But I'm not saying that it _wouldn't_ be really, really, funny either."

Sam chuckled as he opened the water bottle, going to take a sip. Sera was a firecracker, and there was no doubt she wouldn't hold anything back around Dean. He remembered the break-up, and that'd been one of the most terrifying _and_ hilarious things he'd ever seen in his life. Of course, he'd be stuck in the back with a lot less legroom and Effy and Garrett's bickering, but he did agree. It _would_ be really, really funny.

Dean had the car still running outside; they were too cheap to bother paying for parking, so Sam and Effy volunteered to grab Effy's older siblings and bring them back to the Impala so they could take off as soon as they could.

"So long as you and Garrett aren't at each other's throats, I'm all for it." He smiled as he screwed the cap back on her water and held it, putting his other hand in to his jacket pocket.

"We aren't animals, Samwise." Effy smirked.

A slightly dishevelled woman with blonde hair tied in a messy knot on the top of her head walked through the arrival's door as she rubbed at her eyes, the green of them highlighted by the tired red they'd no doubt become over the journey. She followed a darker-haired man about a head taller, his familiar grey eyes and smirk still plastered on his face just like Sam had remembered him. Though instead of a clean jaw line, now he had stubble that was slowly threatening to become a beard.

Effy almost jumped as she spotted them. "Ooh!" She ran over to them and the man spotted her and ran almost as enthusiastically as she did, the two crashing in a hug. "Tibbers! Did you get shorter?" Garrett smirked as he put his head on his sister's. Garrett was still the same height – only an inch or two shorter than Sam. Though last they'd met, it was Sam who was slightly shorter. The two had copped the 'overgrown' jokes from their families for years.

Sam followed Effy, as Sera followed Garrett, and eventually they all met in the middle. "Samuel." Garrett nodded seriously. Sam would've nodded back, had he not known any better, but just as quickly as Garrett had dulled his smile, a grin flashed back on to his face before he pulled Sam into a bone crushing hug. "Gaz." Sam managed to get out despite the fact his life was being squeezed out of him.

Garrett leant back and ruffled Sam's hair. "You weren't meant to get taller than me, dickhead."

The youngest Bennett child stood beside the two awkwardly as Sera approached, rubbing her hands together. "Hi, Ser-"

Sera interrupted her by drawing her into a hug, shushing her. "Shut up."

Effy smiled before relaxing into the embrace. "It's good to see you, Tibs."

So the last few months she'd spent off hunting by herself in Europe had cooled her off. Effy wasn't going to complain.

"Sam." Sera nodded up to him as she let go of her younger sister. "Your dipshit brother around here somewhere?"

Sam smiled as he leant down to hug her. She was taller than Effy, and from memory taller than their mother, but she still looked tiny in comparison to Garrett. And, he supposed, himself nowadays. "Unfortunately." Sam smirked. Sera scoffed as she hugged him back. "Just my luck." As she pulled away Sam gestured to her bag. "I can-"

"It's fine. Though if you've got coffee I'll take it." She smiled.

Effy leaned forward and smiled sweetly. "Already in the car." She looked up at her brother. "As well as some sour cream and chive crisps."

Garrett leant over and kissed his sister's head. "You, Tibbers, are a saint."

Effy smirked up at him. "I know." She gestured towards the exit, where Dean was waiting in the Impala. "Shall we?"

Sera threw her arm over her younger sister and smiled slightly, as big a genuine smile as you'd ever get from Sera. "You would not _believe_ what I was hunting in Bratislava."

Garrett ran a hand through his hair as he and Sam followed the girls. "How's Eff been, the last few months? We heard you guys got in to some strife in Chicago."

Sam swallowed. He wondered if Garrett knew that he and Dean had almost gotten his youngest sister killed. He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. She's been good, I think. Stayed at Bobby Singer's for awhile, worked a couple low-key cases with him, I think." He awkwardly chuckled. "I hadn't really heard much 'til she showed up knocking on the car window a couple days ago."

"Yeah, no kidding. Elusive one, my sister." Garrett chuckled to himself. "Both of them, actually."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. " Sam swallowed back the guilt and tried to change the subject. "So, deal is with Salvation-"

"Sam?" Garrett interrupted him. "We've got twelve hours to talk about a small town in Iowa and the demon we've been hunting out entire lives."

Sam forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah. I guess we do."

Effy pointed ahead to the black Chevy Impala that sat yards in front of them. "Our chariot awaits." She mocked a bow. Sera rolled her eyes and pushed her younger sister's shoulder. Effy lost her balance but not her smile, chuckling as she jogged back up to her sister and slung an arm around her shoulder.

"You know what'd be really funny." Garrett smirked at Sam as they followed the two girls. Sam raised his eyebrows at him, waiting for him to continue. "If we sat in the back with Tibs while Sera's up front with Dean." Garrett almost squeaked in delight at his plan. "Imagine if we kept it going the whole trip! _Imagine…_ " He looked too pleased with himself.

Sam laughed. "That's exactly what Effy suggested."

"Great minds think alike." Garrett smirked. He gripped the straps of his bag as they approached the Impala, Sera slowing cautiously as she saw the black muscle car.

Dean was leant against the car, hands stuffed in his pockets. He almost looked like a bloody male model, shoulders hunched ever so slightly. If Effy hadn't have known better, she'd think he had that bad-boy nonchalant charm, the laid-back guise of an impossibly attractive man. But she knew that Dean Winchester, a man that hunted the things that go bump in the night, was shitting himself. For there weren't many monsters that were more frightening than Sera on a bad day.

And there _definitely_ were none that could even _compare_ to Sera being your ex-girlfriend.

"Dean." Sera nodded as she pulled her backpack from her back.

"Sera! It's uh… been awhile."

The oldest Bennett sibling rolled her eyes and pushed her backpack into his arms. "For good reason."

Garrett smirked as he walked up to Dean, clapping an arm on his back in a half-hug as Sera grabbed her duffle. "Deano!"

"Gaz. Is that a grey hair I see?"

Garrett winked at him. "You try flying ten hours with her."

Effy jogged over to her sister, closing the car door as her sister went to open it. "You're in the front. Garrett and Sam agreed you'd probably want the space."

Sera shrugged, opening the front door instead and throwing her duffle on the floor in front of the seat. "Cool."

Effy furrowed her brows as she watched her sister. "….Okay." Garrett and Sam shot her looks as Dean played Tetris with the bags in the boot. _I don't know_ she mouthed to them, rolling her eyes as she moved to sit in the middle.

Everyone filed into the Impala, Sera pulling on an eye mask and lying back as much as she could in her seat.

As Dean started the engine, Deep Purple's 'Smoke on the Water' started blaring. Sera jumped, lifting her eye mask and glaring at him as he fumbled to turn the noise down quickly. He looked in the back quickly and looked between the youngest three. "Uh… sorry, folks."

He turned the music off as he pulled out of the airport.

Garrett smirked at Effy and Sam. "This is gonna be a loooong drive."

* * *

 **.37:** Thank you so much! I can't wait to get into the thick of Effy's powers :) I wish I could reveal more, stay tuned!


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